Quarterbacks giving their offensive linemen expensive Christmas gifts is a time-honored tradition in the NFL, with a wide range of possibilities.
There have been watches, ATVs, custom footballs, televisions, scooters, jackets, coolers, guns, golf carts, Amazon stock, cryptocurrency, cars and much more. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow might have outdone them all.
According to Paul Dehner Jr. from The Athletic, Burrow gifted his offensive linemen with a collection of authentic Japanese katanas, complete with their own origin story, city or battle. The group was grateful:
“Joe does a great job of purchasing gifts that are extremely meaningful,” said Lt. Orlando Brown. “The fact that he bought me a sword is the oldest form of respect.”
This is how you thank the group of people responsible for keeping you off the ground. It’s also not that surprising that the guy who spent almost $3 million on a Batmobile would be the quarterback who decides to give his people samurai swords for Christmas.
Burrow is currently playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, which pays him $29.6 million through 2024 before his five-year, $275 million contract extension kicks in next year. That contract has the second-highest average annual value in NFL history, behind only Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott’s four-year deal worth $260 million.
It was another standout year for Burrow, at least in terms of statistics. He currently leads the NFL in passing yards (3,977) and passing touchdowns (36), but the Bengals as a whole have been far less successful. Thanks largely to a defense that ranks 31st in the league in points allowed, the team’s record sits at 6-8 with slim playoff chances.
