In the days leading up to his highly anticipated return, Joe Burrow made it clear how excited he was to play on Thanksgiving.
As it turns out, that had much more to do with the football than the food, as was best evidenced by the quarterback’s behavior following the Cincinnati Bengals’ 32-14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
As has become customary following NFL games played on Thanksgiving, the postgame interview also featured a feast. But as several of Burrow’s teammates joined him alongside NBC’s Melissa Stark in Baltimore, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner noticeably avoided the prepared turkey in front of him.
That wasn’t by accident.
“I didn’t touch it,” Burrow answered when asked about the turkey during his postgame press conference. “I don’t know who made it. I don’t know where they made it. I’m good.”
The 28-year-old did, however, reveal that he ate a pepper, which was also a part of NBC’s prepared postgame offering. Adding some local flavor, the meal also included a Maryland crab and, of course, some Cincinnati chili (the brand wasn’t specified, but we can only assume it was Skyline).
But while Burrow didn’t have a turkey leg in hand, that didn’t make his interview with Stark any less memorable. In what marked his first game since suffering a toe injury in Week 2, the former LSU star became visibly emotional as he discussed his return to playing action.
“I’ve always wanted to play on Thanksgiving night. I’m just most grateful to all the people in my life who helped me through this last 10 weeks,” Burrow said. “It certainly wasn’t easy for me, and all the things that I’ve been through in my career so far. I’ve got people that just want the best for me and work really hard to put me in a great position to go and play well and get back on the field. Physical therapists, trainers, doctors. I’ve certainly had my fair share of [injuries]. It’s just fun to be back out here with the guys experiencing this.”
At that point, Stark stepped aside and encouraged the Bengals to finish off the feast. Burrow, for his part, remained directly in front of the turkey with his hands firmly entrenched in his handwarmer, wearing a knowing smile on his face.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.