Joe Burrow Is Committed To Taking Different Approach With His Teammates This Year
Joe Burrow has one driving focus this season: Get the Cincinnati Bengals back to the Super Bowl.
Of course that is easier said than done. Much has to come together for any team to go on that type of run, including having the talent and health in place to do it.
A little luck doesn't hurt whether you are Patrick Mahomes, Sam Darnold or any other quarterback to lead a team to the top of the football world.
In an interview with Men's Journal, Burrow revealed a change in approach he is taking to this offseason and shared some of the ways he tries to make sure he is in the best physical shape he can be - without overdoing it.
Trying to get back to the Super Bowl
Burrow saw first-hand five years ago what it takes to get to the biggest game of them all.
In his second season with Cincinnati, the Bengals made a surprise run to Super Bowl LVI but came up just short against the Los Angeles Rams.
Since then, Burrow has been trying to get the Bengals back in position to win it all.
They came close in 2022 when they lost the AFC Championship Game rematch with KC, but the Bengals missed the playoffs the past three seasons.
That leaves Burrow, his teammates and fans throughout Southwest Ohio hungry for a return to relevance this fall.
The Cincinnati front office has done its part, looking to rebuild a porous defense with a blockbuster pre-draft trade for star tackle Dexter Lawrence and signing safety Bryan Cook and linemen Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen, among other moves since the end of last season.
Burrow said he endorses what the front office has done - "I think we've had some good additions to hopefully bolster some positions that have been deficient in the past," he told Men's Journal* - and revealed the role he can now play in making those changes count.
That includes making a big change on his end.
Bridging the Relationship Gap
Putting the players in place is one thing, but winning football games also requires chemistry.
As the starting quarterback, Burrow can play a major role in building team camaraderie, and he sees that as something he hasn't done enough of in the past.
"Yeah, I can certainly be better in that area," he said. "That's a point of emphasis for me.
"This offseason I'm trying to build that team camaraderie a little more, and it's a work-in-progress."
That includes something as simple as eating lunch with a different group of guys on a given day.
"I'm gonna consciously kind of get out of that mindset, and try to push myself out of my comfort zone and build some new and hopefully long lasting relationships."
He also revealed that has been a bit of a blindspot for him in the past, in part because he moved a lot as a youngster whose father was a college football assistant coach.
"Yeah, building relationships has never been my strong suit," Burrow said. "Change isn't exactly my favorite thing in the world. I moved around a lot when I was really little, and the thing that I always hated most about it was I had to make new friends. So it's certainly a challenge, but that's growing and evolving as a person, as a player and critically thinking about where you're at."
Right Fuel Helps Health
Health has also been a big part of Burrow's story - and typically not for the better.
A hand injury set him back in his final season at Ohio State, though that also helped eventually lead him to LSU, where he won the 2019 Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to the national championship.
In the NFL, Burrow suffered a torn ACL in his rookie season, missed most of the 2023 campaign with a wrist injury then saw last season derailed by a severe case of turf toe.
While some injuries are unavoidable in a physical game like football, Burrow is like many athletes is very focused on what goes into his body as he is training and trying to maximize his physical readiness for another long football season.
That led him to partner with BodyArmor as the company rolls out a new zero sugar sparkling sports drink called BodyArmor Fit.
"I've been with BodyArmor for years," Burrow said. "I think it's a brand that No. 1, can help me hydrate and get to where I want to be basically, and No. 2, they're great people to work with."
BodyArmor Fit is available now in 12 oz. cans and comes in five flavors (mixed berry, tropical passionfruit, citrus grapefruit, orange mango and watermelon lime) that each contain 290 MG of electrolytes and 60 MG of caffeine, but one thing make it stand out to Burrow: The fizz.
"The new product is pretty interesting," he said. "It's got electrolytes, caffeine. It's a sparkling drink.
"Those are three things that I look for in a drink in the morning. It gets you going. The fizz kind of settles my stomach a little bit in the morning, and then the electrodes helps you hydrate and gets you ready for the workout for the day."
Healthy Body, Focused Mind
Time in the training room often means time away from teammates, but having a fully healthy offseason has helped Burrow get to work cultivating relationships this spring and summer during the team's offseason program.
"I'm feeling great. I'm feeling as healthy as I've ever felt, which is exciting for me. It's been a while since I felt that way," Burrow said.
He hopes the focus on maintaining himself and his relationships in the locker room will lead to more wins this fall and help him reach another goal - to play football as long as he can.
"A big part of that is how my body feels on the day to day," he said. "Waking up and going to the bathroom, walking downstairs. And when my body feels good, my mind feels good.
I'm able to push myself the way that I need to - to be in shape, to be strong, be fast and to put myself in a good position to be great."
*This interview was conducted in April prior to the NFL Draft but embargoed until June.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 11:56 AM.