A fake photo of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has gone viral, confusing and fooling fans in the process.
The photo, which was shared by an LSU Tigers fan account on X, shows Burrow with long hair and includes the caption, "Former LSU Heisman and national champion Joe Burrow appears to have a new hairstyle."
Several X users responded to the surprising new style, many of whom compared it to similar to Star Wars character Anakin Skywalker. The photo was, however, proven to be fake as Burrow had noticeably shorter hair in a video shared by the Bengals' X account from the day's practice just hours prior.
The Bengals announced Burrow's return to the practice field on May 6, which included throwing passes less than six full months after suffering a torn ligament in his throwing wrist.
"HE IS SO BACK," the Bengals wrote in the post showing Burrow throwing a football.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters that Burrow suffered the torn ligament during the November 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, which was confirmed by an MRI the following morning. Backup Jake Browning took over in Burrow's absence and went 4-3 in seven starts.
Burrow, who wore a compression sleeve during the Thursday Night Football loss, denied having experienced the injury prior to the game.
"This is a completely different thing. It's not uncommon for guys to wear compression sleeves on the plane. When you go up to that altitude, things can swell up," Burrow told reporters via NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano. "This is a completely new injury."
Burrow appeared to be dealing with pain on his final play, a 4-yard touchdown pass to then-Bengals running back Joe MIxon, before ultimately being ruled out just before halftime. Burrow wasn't, however, listed on the Bengals' injury report and the NFL is reportedly investigating that decision, a league official confirmed to ESPN the following morning.
Burrow threw for 2,309 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions, leading the Bengals to a 5-4 record, prior to his injury. The former No. 1 overall pick signed a five-year, $275 million deal, which made him the highest-paid player in NFL history, last September.