Quarterbacks lavishing expensive Christmas gifts upon their offensive linemen is a time-honored tradition in the NFL, with a wide range of possibilities.
There have been watches, ATVs, custom footballs, televisions, scooters, coats, coolers, guns, golf carts, Amazon stock, cryptocurrency, cars and much more. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow might have just outdone them all.
According to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., Burrow gifted his offensive linemen a collection of authentic Japanese katanas, complete with their own origin story, town or battle. The group was appreciative:
“Joe does a great job at buying gifts that are extremely meaningful,” left tackle Orlando Brown said. “The fact that he bought me a sword, it’s the most ancient form of respect.”
That’s how you thank the group of people in charge of keeping you off the ground. It’s also not too surprising that the guy who spent nearly $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 for 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, $260 million deal.
It has once again been a standout year for Burrow, at least in the statistics department. He currently leads the NFL in passing yards (3,977) and passing touchdowns (36), but the Bengals have been far less successful as a whole. Mostly due to a defense that ranks 31st in the league in points allowed, the team’s record sits at 6-8 with slim playoff odds.
