Joe Cool? Nah! Smokin’ Joe? Nah! What about Joe Hot? Umm, that could be the new nickname for Joe Burrow moving forward. You could be wondering why we are not talking about Burrow’s plays. And why are we dishing out nicknames for the Bengals QB out of nowhere? Well, it all boils down to NBA legend Charles Barkley. His monologue on Joe Burrow’s personality in Jason Kelce’s debut episode of ‘They Call It Late Night’ caught everyone’s attention.

Barkley was one of the guests on Kelce’s show, which was filmed live in front of a packed audience at Union Transfer. And his task on the night was to describe Joe Burrow, whose clips were played on the big screen behind him. So, what did the former basketball power forward do? Well, Let’s just say. He described Joe in a way that can make any American Girl drool over him. He started off by saying, “Grab your binoculars and take a close look. Stud muffin, here comes the smoked meat.”

Now, he also jokingly inserted Denver rookie QB Bo Nix into his description of Joe Burrow, “Bo Nix rolling out. But honestly, who cares?” Ouch! To all those Bo Nix fans out there, please don’t be angry. But it’s Joe Burrow’s moment, to say the least, “I just wanna talk about how hot Joe Burrow is. I love that man’s hair…He just seems like a really good person. Looking like a million bucks.” And Barkley finished with a punchline that may resonate with all those Burrow admirers out there, “Joe Burrow is a pretty man.”

Apart from pointing out Joe Burrow’s glittering personality, Barkley also talked about how he gifted his O-line Japanese Samurai swords for Christmas. The Bengals QB went out of his way and gifted each one of his O-line players authentic katanas. And what makes them more special? Each one of those was from distinct battles that were fought in Japanese history.

Like offensive lineman Orlando Brown was just blown away by Burrow’s generosity: “Joe does a great job at buying gifts that are extremely meaningful. The fact that he bought me a sword. It’s the most ancient form of respect.” So Burrow isn’t just melting hearts with his looks. He is equally winning a lot of respect out there with his gestures. Now, Burrow didn’t just get praised from a legend of the NBA. He also garnered praise from the GOAT himself, Tom Brady.

Tom Brady gushes over Joe Burrow’s stellar performance with playoffs on the line

No matter how slim the chances of the Bengals qualifying for the playoffs. They need to thank their QB for making it even possible this far. At one point, the Bengals were 4-8 heading for an early exit. However, Burrow has stepped up big time, guiding the Bengals to not one, not two, not three, but four wins in a row. Yes, that’s right. Burrow’s majestic plays were yet again on show against the Broncos in week 17. His 412 passing yards and 4 TDs helped the Bengals keep their playoffs dream alive with an overtime 30-24 victory.

Seeing how Burrow has kept his team’s season meaningful this far, Tom Brady couldn’t help but appreciate his work ethic: “Joe Burrow. What an incredible year this has been for Joe Burrow. He threw for over 400 yards, four touchdowns on Saturday night in prime time against the Broncos. Joe, man, you kept your team’s playoff hopes alive with last week’s win.” What makes Brady’s praise more special is that Burrow has also broken his record while playing his best football in some time.

Against the Browns in week 16, Burrow broke Tom’s record of throwing 250+ yards and 3+ TDs in six consecutive games. Cincinnati would be hoping that he can continue with those productions in week 18. Although a win over the Steelers wouldn’t guarantee them a spot in the postseason. Who knows, maybe they could get some favorable results thanks to some outside help. As Burrow continues to make a strong case for himself in those MVP conversations.