Ambassador Joe
So much for Burrow issuing mandates during the offseason. Except for some phone calls during free agency, there were other pursuits.
“I was less involved this year than in years past,” Burrow said. “There’s no secret that the last several years didn’t go the way we wanted to, and there’s a lot of blame to go around for that, myself included.
“We’re in a great spot this year. We brought in great people and great players. You can feel the vibes of the locker room. The energy is elevated right now. We have some veteran guys that can come in and show the younger guys on defense what it takes, what it means to be great every day. That’s exciting to be a part of.”
Burrow also has as much passion for where he wants to put this team off the field, as well as on it. He warms to the title of ambassador in his effort to grow the Bengals brand and has been thinking about it for a long time.
“The first couple of years, when you see how the league pushes certain teams and puts certain teams in big spots,” Burrow said. “Why they do what they do, studying that, and the teams that are in those positions year in and year out. There’s a reason for it, and that’s a position that I want the Bengals to be in.
“I think the number one thing is you have to win, and we’re going to go win a lot of games this year and play great and win a Super Bowl, and everything that comes with that comes with that part of that too, is playing internationally.”
That’s a big reason, no doubt, why Burrow opted to play in the last Pro Bowl, a whirlwind couple of days that began with a phone call with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Burrow says he has a good relationship with Goodell, as seen in the flag football tournament a few weeks after the Pro Bowl.
“It’s an exciting thing to be a part of, trying to grow football, whether it’s flag or tackle football, and I think one will go with the other,” Burrow said. “If one gets popular, the other one will as well. And I’m going to be a part of that.”
Burrow also has a friendship with Goodell’s wife Jane Skinner through their interest in fashion.
