Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow doesn’t have social media like Instagram and Twitter on his phone right now.
It doesn’t take but a millisecond or two to drum up a search online that produces results suggesting it has to do with the Bengals and Burrow’s 0-2 start.
But it’s a little more complicated than that.
Burrow actually first revealed he had deleted social media before Week 2 even occurred. He let that detail slip during an interview with Colin Cowherd.
“Yeah I don’t have any social media throughout the week,” Burrow said. “Really not a lot during the season. If I feel like I need a break from it I delete it off my phone. It can be kind of overwhelming when you’re in the position that I’m in…I’m a private person so I don’t like to share very much.”
Burrow shared these sentiments again on Wednesday:
Joe Burrow says he's deleted Twitter and Instagram from his phone. pic.twitter.com/BsjjHM5drm
— Sporting News NFL (@sn_nfl) September 21, 2022
Those comments caused the stir-up online. But it’s Burrow merely being Burrow, win or lose. Last year, he deleted all the apps in July to avoid distractions. He rarely does post on social media or make public appearances, so the comments register as very much in character.
Of course, Burrow tuning out the noise of an 0-2 loss makes sense. But the apps tend to go away so he can fully focus on football regardless, no matter what that noise tries to suggest about his reasons for what happens to be on his phone.