Career Timeline of Joe Burrow: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Joe Burrow built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Joe Burrow is a professional American football quarterback currently playing for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL. He previously played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and later transferred to LSU, where he achieved significant success. As a senior at LSU, Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship. His outstanding college performance led to him being selected as the first overall pick by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2001: Surpassed LSU Passing Record

In a game against Ole Miss in 2019, Joe Burrow threw for 489 yards, surpassing the LSU record set by Rohan Davey in 2001 for single-season passing yards.

2007: Passing Yards, Touchdowns, and Interceptions Benchmark

In 2007, Tom Brady achieved the milestone of at least 4,500 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, and fewer than 10 interceptions, a feat that Burrow later matched.

2011: Passing Yards, Touchdowns, and Interceptions Benchmark

In 2011, Aaron Rodgers achieved the milestone of at least 4,500 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, and fewer than 10 interceptions, a feat that Burrow later matched.

2015: First Bengals Winning Record Since 2015

Against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to their ninth win of the year, clinching the first winning record for the team since the 2015 season. This victory also put the Bengals in first place of the AFC North, and as a result of his performance Burrow was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

2015: Redshirted at Ohio State

In 2015, Joe Burrow redshirted his first year at Ohio State. He then spent the next two years as a backup to J. T. Barrett.

2015: Clinching the AFC North

In the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, Joe Burrow threw for 446 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in the 34–31 win, helping the Bengals clinch the AFC North and a playoff berth for the first time since 2015.

May 18, 2018: Transferred to LSU

On May 18, 2018, Joe Burrow transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU) after graduating from Ohio State with a degree in consumer and family financial services. He was immediately eligible as a graduate transfer.

2018: Named Starting Quarterback at LSU

In 2018, Joe Burrow was named the starting quarterback for LSU as a redshirt junior. He led the Tigers to a 10–3 record, including a win over UCF in the Fiesta Bowl.

December 14, 2019: Awarded the Heisman Trophy

On December 14, 2019, Joe Burrow was awarded the 2019 Heisman Trophy, with the largest victory margin in the history of the award. His acceptance speech led to $450,000 in donations to the Athens County food bank.

2019: Named LSU's Starting Quarterback

In 2019, Joe Burrow was named LSU's starting quarterback heading into his redshirt senior season.

2019: College Football Playoff Semifinal Game

In 2019, during LSU's College Football Playoff semifinal game against Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, Joe Burrow threw for seven touchdowns in the first half and had a total of 493 passing yards, leading the Tigers to a 63–28 victory.

2019: Record-Breaking Season

Joe Burrow finished his 2019 season with 60 passing touchdowns, breaking the single-season FBS record. He also set a FBS single-season record with 65 total touchdowns.

July 31, 2020: Signed Rookie Contract

On July 31, 2020, Joe Burrow signed his four-year rookie contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, worth $36.1 million.

2020: Rookie Season

In 2020, Joe Burrow finished his rookie season with 264 completions, 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions. The Bengals finished the season with a 4-11 record, missing the playoffs.

2020: Invited to NFL Draft

In 2020, Joe Burrow was one of 58 players invited to the NFL draft, where he was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals.

2020: Drafted into the NFL

In 2020, Joe Burrow was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL draft.

2020: NFL Draft Top Pick

In 2020, the Bengals selected Joe Burrow as the top pick in the NFL draft.

2020: National Championship Victory

In the 2020 National Championship Game against Clemson, Joe Burrow threw for 463 yards with six total touchdowns, leading LSU to a 42–25 victory and earning the game's offensive MVP title.

2021: Calling Plays

As a Bengal, Burrow was noted to have successfully called his own plays during the 2021 Divisional Round game against Tennessee.

2021: Playoff Win and Super Bowl Appearance

In 2021, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to their first playoff win since 1990 and an appearance in Super Bowl LVI. He was also awarded Comeback Player of the Year.

June 2022: Speaking Out on Roe v. Wade

In June 2022, Joe Burrow spoke out on Instagram in favor of abortion rights in the United States after the Roe v. Wade decision was overturned.

2022: NFL Playoffs 2022-23

In 2022, during the 2022-23 NFL playoffs, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to a narrow win over the Ravens and a decisive victory over the Bills, en route to their second consecutive AFC Championship appearance.

September 7, 2023: Contract Extension

On September 7, 2023, Joe Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension, becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history on an annual basis with an average annual salary of $55 million.

2023: Largest NFL Contract and Division Title

In 2023, Joe Burrow signed the largest contract in NFL history at the time in terms of annual salary and led the Bengals to their first consecutive division title in franchise history.

2024: Led League in Passing Despite Missing Playoffs

Despite the Cincinnati Bengals missing the playoffs in 2024, Joe Burrow led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns and was awarded his second Comeback Player of the Year Award.

2024: Career-Best Season and Comeback Player of the Year

In 2024, Joe Burrow finished the season with a career-best 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns, leading the NFL in both statistics. He also won the Comeback Player of the Year Award.

September 16, 2025: Injured Reserve Placement

On September 16, 2025, Joe Burrow was officially placed on injured reserve due to a metatarsophalangeal joint sprain known as turf toe as well as "significant ligament damage".