Joe Burrow is entering the 2026 season with plenty of expectations after an injury-hit campaign a year ago. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback appeared in just eight games in 2025, but still completed 66.8% of his passes for 1,809 yards with 17 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 100.7 passer rating.
His best stretch came late in the season, when he recorded back-to-back 300-yard games against the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals while accounting for six touchdowns without an interception.
But a turf toe injury suffered in Week 2 sidelined him for nine weeks, and Cincinnati eventually finished 6-11, missing the playoffs.
With Burrow healthy again, the focus has now shifted to training camp as the Bengals prepare for the new season.
One clip from practice, however, ended up drawing plenty of attention online. A video showing Burrow attempting a behind-the-back fake pass during a drill quickly made the rounds on social media.
While the move caught fans' attention, many questioned what purpose it would serve in a game situation.
"That's like.. the worst move possible?" one fan wrote. "Isn't the point to conceal the ball not leave it wide open for the defense to see and possibly grab?? 🤣"
"What could possible the benefit of that. The defense can’t even see the fake? 😂" another fan added.
"Woah! That's so cool Joe.. but who's getting fooled by it?🤣😂" one fan commented.
"Tricked the defense so bad that they gave up a whole 2 yards!!!" another shared.
"Add this to his other highlight reel of throwing the ball then spinning around uselessly," another one wrote.
"Literally nothing positive about this," one fan said. "The point of the play action is to make the defense think its a handoff, not show them its not."
While Burrow and the Bengals continue their preparations for the regular season, the play gave NFL fans something to debate well before Week 1 kicks off.
