You’ve seen the photo. The one where he’s sitting on a leather couch in the depths of the Superdome, legs crossed, still in his LSU pads, calmly puffing on a cigar like he just finished a business meeting instead of a National Championship. It’s basically the definitive Joe Burrow cool pictures entry. But honestly? Most people don't know the actual story behind that smoke, or why it became the blueprint for every "Joe Cool" moment that followed.
It wasn't a planned marketing stunt. It wasn't a Nike campaign.
The cigars actually belonged to KJ Malone, an assistant strength coach and the son of NBA legend Karl Malone. KJ had hauled two plastic bags stuffed with 150 cigars into the locker room, but he forgot two pretty basic things: a lighter and a cutter. Burrow, being the guy he is, just bit the end off the cigar and hunted down a stadium staff member to get a light.
That’s the thing about Joe Burrow. Whether it’s his runway walk at Paris Fashion Week or a gritty third-down scramble against the Chiefs, the "cool" factor isn’t manufactured. It’s just who he is.
The Evolution of the Victory Cigar
What started as a one-off celebration in New Orleans turned into a full-blown ritual. When Joe moved to the Bengals, fans were basically counting down the seconds until the next cigar photo. After clinching the AFC North, we saw him again, this time with a coffee-infused Drew Estate Tabak Especial.
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Why does this matter for the fans looking for the best Joe Burrow cool pictures? Because it changed how we view NFL quarterbacks. We moved from the "corporate robot" era of the early 2000s into this strange, high-fashion, "I’m going to smoke a cigar in a non-smoking facility" era.
When the New Orleans police actually entered the locker room in 2019 to tell the team to stop smoking, some players put theirs out. Burrow didn’t. He just kept puffing. That specific moment of defiance is what transformed a simple post-game snapshot into a piece of sports lore.
Not Just a Uniform: The Pregame Fashion Show
If you’re hunting for the best visual aesthetics of Joey B, you have to look at the "Arrival Photos." The Bengals started a series called "Open in Orange" and "White Bengal," and the photography from these walks is top-tier.
- The 2024-2025 Buzz: We saw a massive shift in his style recently. The buzzcut was gone, replaced by the platinum blonde "frosted" look that he eventually debuted on the Rich Eisen Show.
- The Vogue Walk: He actually walked the runway for Vogue World: Paris in 2024. He wore a backless Peter Do suit. It was polarizing. Some fans hated it; fashion critics loved it.
- The Cartier Era: Those rimless glasses he wears? They aren't just for show. They’ve become a symbol of his "Sheisty" persona.
Why the "White Bengal" Photos Go Harder Than the Rest
There is something about the "White Bengal" aesthetic that photographers love. When the Bengals wear the white helmets with the black stripes, the contrast is incredible.
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One of the most iconic Joe Burrow cool pictures from the 2023-2024 stretch happened during the Monday Night Football game against the Rams. There’s a shot of him looking through his visor, the white tiger stripes reflecting in the plastic. It looks less like a football game and more like a scene from a sci-fi movie.
If you are looking for high-quality wallpapers, these "White Bengal" shots are usually the highest resolution because the lighting at Paycor Stadium is specifically tuned for those primetime games.
The "Hidden" Photos You Haven't Seen
His dad, Jimmy Burrow, once mentioned a photo that has never been officially published. It’s a shot of Joe at seven years old, standing with a basketball under his foot and an unlit cigar in his hand. It was a recreation of a photo Jimmy took when he was a kid.
It’s sorta wild to think that the "cigar guy" persona was actually a family tradition long before the LSU Tigers were even on his radar.
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How to Find the Best High-Res Joe Burrow Photos
If you’re trying to find a new lock screen or a print for your wall, don’t just grab a blurry screenshot from a highlight reel. You’ve gotta go to the source.
- The Bengals Official "Arrival" Gallery: They hire world-class photographers to catch the players walking into the stadium. This is where you find the suits, the headphones, and the "locked-in" stares.
- Getty Images Editorial: If you want the raw, gritty action—like the photo of his nameplate being ripped off against the Chiefs—this is where the pros host their work.
- Netflix "Quarterback" Stills: Season 2 of the Netflix show gave us some of the most intimate Joe Burrow cool pictures ever taken. There’s a great shot of him in his home office, surrounded by fossils (yes, he’s a dinosaur nerd), that shows a totally different side of his personality.
The Actionable Takeaway for Fans
If you're building a collection or looking for that perfect "Joe Cool" aesthetic, focus on the "Game 9" era moments. The best photos aren't just of him throwing a ball; they're the moments of transition—the cigar, the sunglasses, the backless suits in Paris, and the quiet moments in the tunnel.
To get the highest quality, look for photographers like Erik Schelkun or the team at Sports Illustrated who did his 2025 "Sports and Style" cover. Those are the images that will actually hold up on a 4K monitor.
The reality is that Joe Burrow is the first "Instagram-era" quarterback who actually understands how to use his image. He isn't trying to be cool. He’s just letting the cameras catch him being himself. Whether he's winning a chip or walking a runway in France, the camera always seems to find him at the right time.
Key things to remember when searching for the best visuals:
- Look for the 2019 National Championship locker room series for the original "cigar" vibe.
- Check the 2024-2025 "White Bengal" sets for the best jersey aesthetics.
- Don't overlook the Paris Fashion Week shots if you want something that looks more like a celebrity editorial than a sports photo.
The myth of Joe Burrow is built on these frames. Every time he lights up or puts on a pair of vintage sunglasses, he’s adding another layer to the most photogenic career in the NFL.