MADRID — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is trying to make the most of his first NFL road game.
Burrow and the Bengals are in Madrid to face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, looking to win their fourth straight game and improve to 6-2 in the AFC North.
But the journey isn’t just about football for Burrow. He wasn’t yet with the Bengals when the team played its first two road games in 2016 and 2019 in London.
“It’s a place I’ve always wanted to go,” he said Friday. “And so to be able to do that while doing what I love, playing football, is truly a dream come true for me.”
Burrow said he was recognized by a group of Americans studying abroad while walking around the Spanish capital, but enjoyed some anonymity on the streets of Madrid.
“I generally expect to go pretty incognito and that no one will recognize me,” he said. “It’s a little more than that, but I like being here because I can feel like a normal person for a little while.”
Art connoisseur
Europe also allowed Burrow to enjoy one of his passions: art.
“I went to the Prado Museum on Wednesday, it was cool,” Burrow said of the famous Spanish art museum.
And the plan for his half day off on Friday was to go find more art in Madrid.
“I’d like to go see more museums, go to an art gallery, do a little shopping, but we’ll see,” he said.
Change of mode
Shopping in Madrid could also be an interesting option for Burrow, known for his interest in fashion and his daring pre-match outfits. And that might be good timing for him, since the Bengals quarterback said he’s going through a style change.
“I’ve been trying to spruce up my appearance a bit recently,” he said. “For a few years there, I was all streetwear. And I started wearing suits every day on game days, and I didn’t really feel like that was me. So I went to full streetwear. And that might have been an overcorrection in my creative mind. I’m finding a happy medium now.”
Knowledge of Spanish sport
Burrow said he grew up watching soccer and lamented not being able to see one of Spain’s two powerhouses play during his time in Spain.
“I’ve been following international sport for a long time, I’ve followed Real Madrid for a long time. I’ve watched Barcelona play Real Madrid a lot,” he said. “I played with both of these teams a lot on FIFA when I was a kid. And I really loved watching football my whole life. So I wish they were playing while we were here in their stadium so we could go. Unfortunately, that won’t happen, but I hope that one day I can make it happen.”
Gn sports
