When Joe Burrow stayed in the Cincinnati Bengals' blowout win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, it raised more than a few eyebrows. After all, there was no need for him to be on the field of what is already a decided contest.

However, the young QB has a good reason for doing so. For him, they have to be on top of their game from start to finish, especially since it is not a high school game but the NFL. He added he has no “sympathy” for the opposing team, as it is a common occurrence in the league and the Bengals themselves have been on the receiving end of such circumstances.

“This is the NFL. This isn’t peewee, this isn’t high school. You play until the final whistle. I don’t care what the score is. We’ve been in spots where teams go out and do that to us. They did it to us last year. No sympathy from me,” Burrow said, per Pro Football Talk.

The Bengals won the contest 41-21, with Cincinnati entering the fourth quarter with a 20-point lead at 34-14. However, Burrow did not sit out the remainder of the contest and even recorded a 52-yard pass late in the game.

Part of the issue was the fact that it marked a career night for Joe Burrow, as he finished with 525 yards–just 29 yards shy of the all-time single-game record.

For what it's worth, while some people took offense on the “disrespectful” act, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh couldn't care less about it. He is also not blaming Burrow, noting that they call their own plays.