Taunting, trash talking, and other harmless acts on the football field are totally fine by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. He also knows what's best for him.
During his appearance on the New Heights live show with Jason and Travis Kelce, Burrow explained that he purposely avoids instigating with the players who are tasked with hitting him as hard as they can.
"I'm pretty nice to the defensive line," Burrow said. "So people aren't really talking to me like that because I'll just be like, 'Nice play, man.' Because I'm not trying to get hit like that."
He may not know it, but he's emulating the strategy of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
Luck at his peak was one of the best quarterbacks in the game. His arm talent, mobility, strength, and processing speed all elevated him to the top of the game right before he retired much earlier than anyone anticipated.
His most underrated attribute was getting in the heads of opposing pass rushers with compliments, not smack talk.
By dishing out words of affirmation following pressures and sacks, Luck would stun his opponents and force them to do a little mental calculus.
"In all the years I've played football I have never heard anything like it. Nothing even close." former NFL linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said back in 2014. "You want to say thank you, but then you say 'Wait a second—I'm not supposed to like you!'"
Luck's reverse psychology was one of his defining traits, and whether or not Burrow knows it, he's doing something very similar.
Burrow has never been shy of celebrating after a victory. The cigar moments speak for themselves. But he's been hit and sacked many times in his young career. Any way he can get defenders to lighten those incoming blows is smart.
More must-reads: