Joe Burrow drops hilarious line about Lions’ Thanksgiving tradition before his return
The Cincinnati Bengals are getting Joe Burrow back for Thanksgiving and the quarterback reflected on his own memories of Thanksgiving Day football.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is officially back, and he’s arriving with one of the funniest Thanksgiving quotes an NFL quarterback has ever delivered.
Joe Burrow roasts Lions’ old Thanksgiving days in viral comment
Speaking this week as he prepares to return from his foot injury for the Bengals’ Thanksgiving night showdown against the Baltimore Ravens, Burrow was asked about the holiday and whether he grew up watching the traditional slate of games. His answer instantly went viral.
“You grow up going through Thanksgiving...you have your meals, and you sit on the couch… watch the Lions vs somebody, watch Matthew Stafford throw 300–400 yards with Calvin Johnson, and probably lose the game,” Burrow said. “But it was fun to watch.”
#Bengals QB Joe Burrow on playing on Thanksgiving:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 25, 2025
“You grow up going through Thanksgiving — you have your meals, and you sit on the couch ... watch the Lions vs. somebody, watch Matthew Stafford throw 300–400 yards with Calvin Johnson, and probably lose the game.”😂 pic.twitter.com/fTsagL7ymN
The room erupted in laughter as Burrow concluded with how much he always wanted to be the player out there on the field on Thanksgiving.
For a generation of NFL fans, Burrow captured the exact vibe of Thanksgiving football in the 2010s: elite Stafford-to-Megatron fireworks paired with a frustrating inability to finish games. It was affectionate, self-aware NFL nostalgia, and Lions fans mostly took it in stride considering how dramatically the franchise has changed in recent years.
While Burrow’s comment pokes fun at the Lions’ old struggles, it also highlights how far the franchise has come. Detroit is now one of the NFC’s toughest teams, Ford Field is as loud as any stadium in football, and the Lions are no longer the predictable Thanksgiving disappointment many grew up with. This year, they kick off the Thanksgiving Day slate of games with a matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
As for Cincinnati, Burrow’s humor comes at a moment when they desperately needs a spark. His expected return against Baltimore adds enormous intrigue to the primetime rivalry matchup and gives the Bengals renewed hope late in the playoff race.
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