Sports brands and athletes are like bread and butter. They go together. But, not Joe Burrow and Nike. Things haven't been good between them for quite some time now.

The Bengals QB used to be a Nike athlete, having signed with the brand around the time he got drafted to the NFL. However, in 2025, speculation arose that he was moving away from the brand after he wore Swoosh-less Jordan 1s.

Soon after, he transitioned to lesser known brand, Alo Yoga. But, that hasn't stopped Burrow from discussing his previous relationship with Nike. In fact, he recently took a veiled shot at the company.

Appearing on Bengals teammate Ja'Marr Chase's new podcast, Burrow spoke about how he likes meeting brands and their leadership. However, he also pointed out that "some brand" just sign athletes and send them a couple of cleats a year and are done with it.

He didn't mention them by name, but it sure felt like Joe Cool was throwing some shade Nike's way.

Joe Burrow is feeling confident heading into the new season

He may have thrown some shade, but a mini feud with Nike is certainly the last thing on Joe Burrow's mind. After all, he has much bigger things to focus on. For example, the Super Bowl.

Speaking on the podcast, Burrow expressed just how badly he wants to win, and this season, he is confident. He loves the moves the Bengals made in defense and he knows how good the guys on offense are.

He feels it in his "bones" that this team has the right guys and the right mindset to go and chase a Super Bowl. Now, we'll just have to wait and see if that is truly the case.

Written by

Joseph Nithin