Joe Burrow already getting rave reviews from Bengals teammates

Joe Burrow received praise from Bengals teammates following training on Monday.

Joe Burrow hasn’t even stepped onto the field for the Cincinnati Bengals yet, but he’s already impressing his teammates.

On Monday, offensive tackle Jonah Williams spoke with the media via video conference. He praised Burrow for his veteran-style leadership.

“I’ve been really impressed with the way he’s handling this offense and handling the huddle,” Williams said. “It’s as if he’s been there for years.”

“Some guys wouldn’t want to speak up like that,” Williams said. “They wouldn’t want to give suggestions to a bunch of veteran (offensive) linemen. But he does it in a way that we all respect it and appreciate his input.”

And, Williams said, Burrow has been quick to pick up the playbook. “Pretty much every time so far, he’s been right and it’s worked out well,” Williams said.

Burrow was the No. 1 overall pick for the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft. Burrow, who was prolific during his time at LSU, is under a lot of pressure to usher in a new era in the Queen City. But right now, that doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Joe Burrow expresses support for college athletes

Joe Burrow took to Twitter on Monday to express his support for college athletes after the Big Ten, one of college football’s Power 5 conferences, said they were cancelling the fall football season due to coronavirus concerns. Other conferences are expected to follow suit.

Burrow tweeted, “I feel for all college athletes right now. I hope their voices are heard by decision makers. If this happened a year ago I may be looking for a job right now.”

Trevor Lawrence, the starting quarterback at Clemson, is leading the #WeWantToPlay movement to try to save the college football season. But so far, hardly any American sports leagues have been able to play safely outside of a bubble. And football is a sport where it’s impossible to socially-distance, adding another level of concern.

The NFL and the NFLPA have already agreed to COVID-19 safety protocols. It’s not clear whether the decisions happening in the NCAA will have any impact on their decision-making.