With Title, Joe Burrow’s Marketability Could Blow Up

Joe Burrow suffered a devastating knee injury in his rookie season. Now, he’s the AP Comeback Player of the Year and has Cincinnati on the brink of its first championship ever.

A title would cement the small-market quarterback’s superstar status — and could see him challenge Patrick Mahomes as the face of the NFL in the post-Tom Brady era.

If jersey sales are any indication, Burrow is approaching the same stratosphere of marketability — and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy will not only push him higher but launch him into history.

• In Q3 2021, he moved up four spots into the top 10 of officially licensed product sales; Brady and Mahomes are 1 and 2, respectively.
• With a win, he would join Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Joe Namath as the only starting QBs to win a college football national title and a Super Bowl.
• Burrow will be the first No. 1 overall pick to start in a Super Bowl in his first two seasons.

When Burrow signed his four-year, $36.2 million rookie deal, he told the media, “I don’t plan on spending any contract money. I’m just going to live off the marketing money and let that accrue in my bank account.”

Represented by the William Morris Agency, Burrow already has endorsement deals with Lowe’s, Bose, Nerf, Fanatics, and Buffalo Wild Wings.

The Bengals are still underdogs (+160*), and Burrow (+225*) still trails Matthew Stafford for MVP (+100*), but a double trophy haul is within reach.