The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Dallas Cowboys in a dramatic Monday Night Football matchup, but the Cowboys weren’t the only ones to suffer a loss that evening. Superstar quarterback Joe Burrow also had his home broken into, adding to the disheartening turn of events. This situation is particularly tough for Burrow, given his deep connection to Cincinnati and Ohio.
Joe Burrow addressed the break-in at his home for the first time on Wednesday, sharing his feelings about how much his privacy had been compromised following the incident during Monday night’s game.
Joe Burrow feeling violated after home burglary
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks for the locker room after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Chargers won 34-27.
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one, and way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share,” Burrow said, indicating that he would not be addressing any specific details about the incident.
In his brief remarks on the matter, Burrow acknowledged that one of the most frustrating aspects was the amount of personal information that has now entered the public conversation.
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An incident report obtained by ABC News states that model Olivia Ponton was the first to alert the authorities after arriving at Burrow's home and noticing a broken bedroom window. Furthermore, a local news station gathered aerial footage of the scene using drones.
Burrow has taken significant steps throughout his career to safeguard his privacy. However, the Pro Bowl quarterback, one of the wealthiest and most recognized figures in the league, admitted that while he understands the attention comes with the territory, it doesn’t make it any less challenging.
“We live a public life. One of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy, and that has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career,” Burrow said.
The break-in, currently being investigated as a felony, is part of a troubling trend involving high-profile athletes. In November, a source informed ABC News that the FBI had briefed the NFL and other leagues about a series of targeted burglaries involving prominent figures, including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Burrow declined to comment when asked about his concerns regarding his safety going forward.
Burrow separating his personal life to his public persona
Since being drafted first overall by the Bengals in 2020, Burrow has worked hard to separate his personal life from his professional life. He acknowledged that the break-in has made that distinction increasingly difficult.
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“It's definitely been difficult this week, but for the most part, I'm pretty good at it, considering during the season, you don't really have a personal life,” Burrow added.
“It's kind of all football. Obviously, things come up that you don't expect, and when those come up you try to do your best to handle them quickly and be able to move on from it and focus on ball,” he continued.
Even though the Bengals (5-8) are looking at a challenging playoff path as they prepare for Sunday's matchup against the Tennessee Titans (3-10), Burrow is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. He currently tops the NFL in passing yards (3,706) and passing touchdowns (33), while ranking second in Total QBR (74.1), only behind Josh Allen of Buffalo.
In addition to the home burglary, Burrow is also managing a left knee injury he suffered during Monday's 27-20 victory over Dallas.
The Bengals held a walk-through on Wednesday night, and had it been a full practice, the team estimated Burrow would have been limited in participation. However, after the session, Burrow reassured reporters that the injury wasn’t a significant concern.