Quarterback Joe Burrow, who has thrown 26 touchdowns for the first-place Cincinnati Bengals, just completed the “biggest backhanded compliment” on Wednesday, according to Twitter users. (Watch the video below.)
In explaining the team’s low COVID-19 incidence amid the NFL’s surge in cases, the former Heisman Trophy winner said, “We’re doing a great job with our COVID protocols. Fortunately there’s not a ton to do in Cincinnati. ... Nobody’s going out to clubs and bars and getting COVID every weekend.”
Burrow said it with a smile, but insulting the nightlife where you live may not have been the best way to endear him to local fans.
Fueled in part by the omicron variant, COVID-19 has rampaged through the league. More than 200 players have tested positive in the last week, CBS reported.
But the Bengals, tied for the lead in the AFC North with an 8-6 record, have just one player on the Reserve/COVID list, Sports Illustrated reported on Thursday. Their opponent on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens, have at least a dozen players out due to COVID.
So three cheers for Cincy’s maybe-less-than-stellar entertainment scene?