Joe Burrow has been a sensation for the Cincinnati Bengals right from the time they drafted him as the first overall pick in 2020. Although his debut year wasn’t what he expected it to be, the years that followed cemented his position as the QB1 that wears the number 9 jersey. The 26-year-old QB has since led his side to Super Bowl LVI, which was their first appearance since 1988.
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The 2022 Pro Bowler QB excelled in the college football scene before getting drafted. Burrow led the LSU Tigers to a 15-0 season and a national championship in 2019 while wearing a No. 9 uniform. When he joined the Bengals after being drafted, he declared his intention to continue wearing the same number he sported during his time at LSU.
However, before playing his last two college seasons with LSU, he was with the Ohio State Buckeyes for three years. During that period, he wore jersey no. 10. Burrow then transferred from Columbus, as he had lost his starting QB position to the late Dwayne Haskins in 2018. He didn’t want to keep sitting on the bench as a backup, so he finally switched to LSU, where not only did he get his QB1 status but also a lucky number.
Upon securing his NFL position, the 2019 Heisman winner opted to retain the number 9 instead of switching to 10. His decision came from his rise to prominence during his time at LSU, where he enjoyed greater success and recognition.
Joe Burrow’s Reason For Choosing LSU Jersey No. 9
The former LSU QB revealed in an interview in 2020 that he first thought of wearing No. 10, which he wore with the Buckeyes, but he didn’t have many great memories with that number. Burrow started in 28 games in his two seasons with the LSU Tigers, where he recorded 8,565 yards and scored 76 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. During his three-year stint with the Buckeyes, he only played 10 games and had 287 yards and 2 touchdown passes.
“I had some not so great memories of 10 the last time I wore it,” said Burrow.
Joe Burrow said he thought about going back to No. 10. “I had some not so great memories of 10 the last time I wore it.”
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) April 24, 2020
Since donning No. 9, Joe Burrow hasn’t lost his starting position and has entered his fourth season as a starter for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals hold immense trust in him because of his leadership, which led them to the playoffs twice. Furthermore, the star QB solidified his position as the team’s starting QB by signing a huge 5-year, $275 million contract extension with the Bengals in September 2023.
