Fans have been dunking on Joe Burrow’s fashion choices for years, and he’s usually the first to laugh. After his backless suit at Vogue World in Paris, he admitted that he was fully prepared for the criticism. However, this time the criticism came from someone he can’t just laugh off.
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In a recent episode of his podcast, The Breakdown with Jason & Osi, former NFL defensive end Osi Umenyiora shared his honest opinion on the Cincinnati Bengals QB’s growing interest in the fashion world.
“Have you seen Joe Burrow lately? I’m not sure I like him. I don’t think my quarterback is supposed to behave like that. I want my quarterback to be all about the ball, J-Bell. I want him to be all about ball. When you start doing all the little, all that stuff, that’s when things fall apart.”
Osi Umenyiora is a two-time Super Bowl winner and has spent 12 seasons in the league. Over the years, he has seen multiple players gradually spark their interest in the fashion, and according to him, Burrow is just the latest name on that list.
The Cincinnati Bengals QB made his modelling debut in June 2024 when he took the fashion world by storm at Vogue World 2024 during Paris Fashion Week. Burrow walked the outdoor catwalk wearing a viral backless black suit jacket designed by Peter Do.
The Bengals QB is also a recurring face for the activewear and lifestyle brand Alo Yoga and headlines multiple print and digital modeling campaigns for the brand, including the release of their premium “Conquer” collection.
Beyond the runway, Burrow is also in attendance at all major fashion events like the Met Gala and was sitting front row at elite shows like Thom Browne during Milan Fashion Week earlier this year.
“Fashion is just fun for me,” Burrow said earlier this year. “It’s a nice change of pace from the world of sport, in some ways, and it’s fun for me to be able to try to merge the two and try to build within both industries. The whole dynamic between sport and fashion is exciting to me. It started out with… with really just playing with colors, playing around, and it has evolved to this. Whatever this is. And I think I’d just call it… fun.”
Will Joe Burrow’s stance about fashion remain the same if it affects his playing career like Osi Umenyiora fears? Only time will tell, but as of now, the Bengals QB stands as one of the most promising quarterbacks in the league.
On the field, Burrow has played at least 78 regular-season games so far in his NFL journey, where he racked up over 21,064 passing yards and 158 touchdowns.
As for the 2026 season, Burrow had a decent outing in Week 1 with a 33-27 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He completed 25-of-35 passes (71.4%) while throwing for 254 yards and posting a single touchdown. Next up, the Bengals will face the Houston Texans in a road game on September 20.