SI

Joe Burrow Finds Out on 'Hard Knocks' That Playing Offensive Line Isn't Very Fun

Burrow asked the pressing question at a Bengals practice.

Kyle Koster

Joe Burrow hears the honest truth about playing offensive line.
Joe Burrow hears the honest truth about playing offensive line. / Hard Knocks on X
In this story:

Joe Burrow knows that playing quarterback is extremely fun but he found an even deeper appreciation for his position while comparing notes with Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Alex Cappa in an exchange featured on Hard Knocks.

Burrow, dressed in street clothes, asked the probing question of whether trench warfare is enjoyable during a Bengals practice and got an honest answer.

"Not really," Cappas laughed. "There are good elements in terms of like you're doing something bigger than yourself, your work isn't always celebrated. You have to celebrate it kind of stuff, but like I feel like it's the most anxiety-filled position. It's chronic."

Burrow correctly observed that offensive linemen are rarely praised when they do something good and absolutely torched when they do something bad. Then he went back to doing the super fun job of quarterback — where one can actually win the MVP award, get a bunch of endorsement deals and become the face of a franchise.

Must be nice.

More of the Latest Around the NFL

feed

Published
Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

Home/NFL