NFL superstar Joe Burrow already knows who he’ll be rooting for on Grey Cup Sunday.
Just hours after the Montreal Alouettes pulled off one the greatest playoff upsets in CFL history, the Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback showed up to Paycor Stadium for his Week 10 matchup with the Houston Texans wearing a replica of the no. 16 Alouettes jersey once worn by his father, Jim.
Star NFL QB Joe Burrow wearing his dad Jim’s Montreal Alouettes jersey. #Alouettes #CFL #Bengals #NFLpic.twitter.com/fIiUWBzh4L
— Justin Dunk (@JDunk12) November 12, 2023
The elder Burrow spent five seasons as a defensive back in the CFL after graduating from Nebraska, playing with Montreal (1977-80), Calgary (1980) and Ottawa (1981). He was a two-time East Division all-star, finishing with 15 career interceptions.
While with the Als, Burrow won a Grey Cup in 1977 as part of the infamous “Ice Bowl.” He went on to lose Grey Cups in 1978 and 1979, putting his career record at 1-2 in the big game, with his son referencing those losses as a motivating factor for his own success.
Selected with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after a stellar senior season at Louisiana State University that included a national championship and a Heisman Trophy, Burrow has quickly become one of the NFL’s marquee quarterbacks. In 50 career games, the 26-year-old has completed 68 percent of his passes for 13,635 yards, 94 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He took his team to the Super Bowl in 2021, losing to the Los Angeles Rams, before earning his first career Pro Bowl selection in 2022.
While Burrow and the Bengals (5-3) work to get another crack at their championship, the Alouettes will have a chance to capture their eighth Grey Cup title next week. Montreal upset the record-setting 16-2 Toronto Argonauts 38-17 in the Eastern Final, flummoxing another former SEC star in Chad Kelly.
They will now take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the title at 6:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 19. Burrow will be free to watch the game, as Cincinnati is scheduled to visit the Ravens for Thursday Night Football in Week 11.
