“I’ve been a fan of his for a long time,” Joe Burrow said after the Bengals’ win over Pittsburgh, his voice steady, no exaggeration needed. Growing up, it was Aaron Rodgers who defined quarterback play in Burrow’s eyes. “Watching him growing up, he was one of those guys you loved to watch. When Monday Night or Sunday Night Football came around, you were hoping to see him play.” Rodgers had Montana and Young. Burrow had Rodgers. The connection seemed obvious—idol to heir. But legacies in football rarely follow a straight line.

You see, it’s not unlikely to find new idols as you grow up. And for Joe, the path has been exactly that. In a recent interview with GQ, he was asked about his ‘biggest footballing idol’, he took a moment and replied “Tom Brady“. It does make sense if you look at it closely, especially their similarities and characteristics on the field. Be it the calmness at times of incredible pressure, or the precise throws to the receivers, or his ability to pick great spots to run to and then get the ball downfield. These are some of the characteristics that the ‘Great Tom Brady’ had, and Burrow is already acing these. Not to forget that Burrows became the first QB to hit 250+ yards and 3+ touchdowns in 7 consecutive games, besting his idol, who falls second in the list with 6 consecutive games.

Even off the field, Burrow emulates Brady and famously follows his ‘no alcohol during the season’ policy. “I don’t particularly enjoy drinking at all. I do it maybe once or twice a year. Definitely not during the season,” Burrow said in 2022. “I just really don’t like how it makes me feel to be honest, so I don’t partake it in usually.” The two also share a good relationship. After all, they have been spotted hanging out together multiple times and more recently at Michael Rubin’s White Party in 2024. Brady has also been all praises about Burrow in the past. In the Stephen A. Smith show at the Fanatics event in 2024, Brady while speaking of his top NFL QBs, said, “Joe Burrow is really impressive the way he throws the ball… Another guy who’s got a great connection with his teammates.”

To be honest, it’s no wonder that Brady picked Burrow as one of his top QBs in the NFL. The stats say it all. By the time both Brady and Burrow had turned 26, they had both posted their best numbers of their early careers. Brady, being Brady, had already won two Super Bowls by this time, but Burrow isn’t too far behind. Having already taken the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2022. The two quarterbacks had also recorded their best regular seasons, with Brady recording a 14-2 with the Patriots and Burrow recording a 12-4 with the Bengals. However, Burrow takes the upper hand when it comes to individual statistics. By 26, Burrow played 42 games with 68.2% completion, 82 TDs, and 11,774 yards, while Brady played 47 games with 62.1% completion, 69 TDs, and 10,227 yards.

Another similarity that we can spot between the two is their support for their teammates. For Brady, one such instance was when he stayed on the field and played extra minutes, going against the coach’s orders. All so that Rob Gronkowski could get that one extra catch and earn the million-dollar bonus. On the other hand, Burrow is supporting his teammate and Bengals’ Defensive end, Trey Hendrickson, so that he gets the much-deserved contract extension.

Bengals on the defence after Hendrickson’s statement?

While talking about the contract drama surrounding three of his fellow teammates, namely, Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and Trey Hendrickson, Burrow had come forward saying, “We can make it happen. And it just has to be right for everybody involved.” Burrow had also said, “We all want to be together,” showing his affection and support for the other three. Ultimately, Higgins and Chase both got 4 year extensions worth $115 million and $161 million, respectively.

However, it seems that Trey Hendrickson’s contract drama has gone up a level this time around. Despite being a key player for the Bengals, getting 46 tackles and 17.5 sacks for them last year. It looks like Joe Burrow and Trey Hendrickson will have to wait some more for the drama to get over and play alongside each other.

In a statement made to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Trey Hendrickson has said that there has been no communication between the Bengals and him or anyone from his camp. After the previous offers, which did not share the same visions as were promised, Trey said, “Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating. I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals.”

As a consequence, the Bengals’ management now seems to have pressed the panic button, working tirelessly for damage control. This is evident in the postponement of Joe Burrow’s press meet. The press conference, which was initially supposed to take place this Tuesday, has now been pushed to the 20th of May. While fans speculate that the Bengals postponed the press conference to train Joe Burrow on what to say when he is asked about Trey’s situation, no one really knows what is going on behind the scenes.

All Burrow can now hope for is that when he comes for the press conference on the 20th, this issue will be resolved, with Hendrickson getting an extension from the Bengals. Allowing all four (Higgins, Chase, Burrow, and Hendrickson) to play together and take the Bengals to new heights.