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Joe Burrow Shows 'Ancient Form of Respect' With Gift to Bengals Offensive Linemen
The season of giving is not lost on Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
No, Burrow didn't get his teammates a cliche Amazon gift card or a new fuzzy pair of socks this holiday season. He went way off the board, gifting each of his offensive linemen something they probably would never have put on their Christmas lists.
Burrow surprised his offensive lineman with authentic Japanese Katana swords on Thursday at practice.
"Joe does a great job at buying gifts that are extremely meaningful,” Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown said [via The Athletic]. "The fact that he bought me a sword, it’s the most ancient form of respect."
Media members were not allowed to take photos of the swords in the locker room.
Epic gift alert: Joe Burrow gifted his offensive linemen authentic Japanese Katana swords.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 19, 2024
They are all unique. Each sword comes with its own story, from certain towns or battles. He put them all in a room and had them pick theirs out.
“Joe does a great job at buying gifts…
Burrow has a long history of giving his guys in the trenches gifts for the holidays. In 2022, Burrow gifted the Bengals' offensive line a free cruise for themselves and a plus-one. In 2021, he bought them custom G-Shock watches covered in diamonds.
In 14 games this season, Burrow has thrown for a league-high 3,977 yards and 36 touchdowns, logging a 107.1 passer rating. He has been sacked 33 times in those 14 games, which ranks 10th-most in the league but is behind the likes of Patrick Mahomes (35 sacks), Jalen Hurts (38) and far behind the league-leader in rookie Caleb Williams (58).
The Bengals' offensive line has done a pretty decent job of keeping Burrow safe in the pocket. And now they have the gift of self defense from their Pro Bowl quarterback.
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Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.