Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has extremely high expectations. Many expect him to be the next great quarterback in the NFL. Those are lofty standards set for him.

So naturally, no one would be surprised if he was a little nervous. However, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, Burrow is laughing off that assumption.

The Bengals face off with the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1. Cincinnati gets to play at home, but might not have much of an advantage with fans likely not being at the game.

So that could be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage for Burrow. He does not have the pressure of playing in front of fans. But it will be a different atmosphere for him. And the fans might have served as a good distraction and way for Burrow to get hyped up before and during the game.

Would that have really made any difference though?

Article Continues Below
More Cincinnati Bengals News
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) takes to the field prior to the Ravens' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC wild card game.
Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey trolls Bengals over Shemar Stewart’s rookie holdoutJosh Davis ·
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor next to a silhouette of an American football player with a big question mark emoji inside. There is also a logo for the Cincinnati Bengals.
1 Cincinnati Bengals rookie who stood out most in 2025 minicampBen Strauss ·
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) warms up before the NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.
Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase drops mic on Trey Hendrickson’s contract situationJaren Kawada ·
Cincinnati Bengals Trey Hendrickson speaks at a press conference after practice, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in Downtown Cincinnati.
Bengals rumors: How serious is Trey Hendrickson about sitting out season?Zachary Weinberger ·
Cincinnati Bengals Trey Hendrickson speaks at a press conference after practice, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in Downtown Cincinnati.
Bengals rumors: Insider offers cryptic Trey Hendrickson outlookRichard Pereira ·
Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (92) tackles Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) in the third quarter of the NFL game at M&T Banks Stadium in Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.
NFL makes admission about Joe Burrow’s Ravens complaintBen Strauss ·

Based on this reaction, Burrow was never going to be phased by the prospect of playing in his first NFL game with the Bengals.

Sure, there probably are some nerves. And it would not be surprising if Burrow was exaggerating and downplaying how little he will be worried about the game.

But this is also a quarterback who had the spotlight on him all of 2019. And he won the National Championship at LSU. It is not like the bright lights are new to him in any way.

Sure, the NFL is a “different beast”, but Burrow looks ready to conquer it.

Cincinnati and Los Angeles square off on September 13 in Week 1. Barring something crazy, Burrow will be the quarterback for the Bengals. And it appears he is ready to get on the field and do what he does best.