Joe Burrow of Cincinnati Bengals looking on.Joe Burrow (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow has apparently undergone a significant change in appearance, which has fans comparing him to 2005 Tom Brady.

Joe Burrow was tagged by a friend in an Instagram post, a photo that shows a group hanging out by a lake. Burrow, on the left sporting a white muscle shirt, appears to have shaved his head:

NFL fans were stunned to learn about Joe Burrow’s haircut. He also drew comparisons to retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who memorably shaved his head and sported a haircut in 2005 after leading the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl 39 championship:

Also Read: Joe Burrow Reveals His “Perfect NFL Schedule” Which Includes A Very Interesting Idea For Bye Weeks & The Pro Bowl That Everyone Will Love

If that’s indeed Joe Burrow with the shaved head, then he’ll surely look unrecognizable to many. After all, it’s not every day that a marquee athlete goes from their signature wavy and model-like hairstyle to a straight buzzcut.

The first overall pick of 2020 is looking to bounce back after a frustrating 2023 season that ended abruptly when he suffered a wrist injury in a Week 11 Thursday night contest against the rival Baltimore Ravens.

Second-stringer Jake Browning played well in Burrow’s absence, and the Bengals finished a respectable 9-8 in an AFC North that sent three teams to the playoffs. Unfortunately, Cincy’s strong finish without Burrow wasn’t enough to lock down a third straight playoff berth.

Joe Burrow & Bengals Open 2024 vs. Patriots

The Bengals have been notoriously slow starters in the Joe Burrow era, losing their first two games in 2022 and three of their first four in 2023 before regaining their championship-caliber form.

Playing in the unforgiving AFC North, the Bengals can’t afford another sluggish start here in 2024. They’ll try to jump out to a strong start on Sept. 8, when the Bengals welcome the rebuilding New England Patriots for the season opener.

After that, the Bengals will travel to Kansas City to face the defending champion Chiefs in a possible postseason preview.