Joe Burrow opens up about his first Thanksgiving game while remembering Matthew Stafford throwing big yards on TV

Joe Burrow spoke on Tuesday, November 26, about how excited he is to play his first Thanksgiving Day game when the Cincinnati Bengals face the Baltimore Ravens. While sharing what the holiday meant to him growing up, he playfully joked that he would sit on the couch, eat his meal, and watch Matthew Stafford throw “300 to 400 yards with Calvin Johnson and still lose.” His funny comment, shared by Ari Meirov on X, quickly caught attention and made fans smile.

Joe Burrow’s Matthew Stafford joke adds fun to his Thanksgiving return

During the Tuesday press conference in Cincinnati, Joe Burrow talked about how he always watched the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving as a kid. 

He said, “You sit down after your meal, watch Matthew Stafford throw 300 or 400 yards with Calvin Johnson, and probably lose the game.” His joke pointed toward the tough years the Lions had, even when Stafford played very well. 

Matthew Stafford, now with the Los Angeles Rams, is actually one of the best Thanksgiving players ever. He leads the NFL with 3,000 passing yards on Thanksgiving games and has 18 passing touchdowns, tied with Tony Romo. 

With the most receiving touchdowns on the vacation, Calvin Johnson, his former teammate, still holds the record. 

Returning to the field on Thursday, November 28 against the Baltimore Ravens, Joe Burrow will now join the holiday ritual. When a reporter asked if he would start, he answered simply, “Correct.”

In his first game since Week 2, Joe Burrow not only wins the Madden Thanksgiving MVP, but gives the game ball to a young Bengals fan in the crowd.
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— Sports Business Report (@SportsBusReport) November 28, 2025

Joe Burrow explains how recent practice time helped him prepare

Joe Burrow shared that missing Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots gave him more time to practice at full speed. 

He said the extra preparation helped him get ready for Thursday’s short-week matchup. “It’ll serve me well this week,” Burrow said. 

“You expect to play, you go through your work, and then it doesn’t happen. But it helps when the next week has fewer full-speed reps.”

Burrow added that he trusted the medical team and coaching staff during his recovery. “I’ve been in that spot before,” he said. “I trust the decision makers, and now this week, we’ll be ready to go.”