The story behind Burrow's bleached hair: Bengals QB says he was 'bored', teammate also agreed to do it

Joe Burrow debuted his new hair Tuesday — and the Bengals star QB said he changed it up because he was bored.

Now known as Slim Shiesty, Burrow addressed his new 'do during his first press conference of Bengals training camp Wednesday.

"First couple days was definitely a little shocking, I mean when I woke up I would say, but I've gotten used to it," Burrow said.

He said the new look came after Bengals defensive tackle BJ Hill suggested it.

"BJ said if I buzzed and bleached it, he would do it too," Burrow said, saying Hill has to bleach his hair in the next week.

"I think we need the fans and the media to hold him accountable if he doesn't do it, so I'm counting on you guys," Burrow said.

Other than Hill's proposition, Burrow said he "got bored" with his old hair.

This isn't the first time Burrow has used Eminem as inspiration for his hair. Back in his Athens High School days, Burrow bleached his hair with the whole football team when they won the district championship.

"(I'm) trying to channel a little bit of that year," Burrow said.

Burrow did say the bleached look would be temporary, even joking that he'd go through a "frosted tips" phase.

The QB's hair has made waves in the past, with Bengals fans taking to social media to discuss his different hairstyles over the past few years.

Fans responded to the new bleached, buzzed look, piggybacking on the team's reference to well-known bleached-blond rapper Eminem.

Others pointed out his resemblance to WWE wrestler Cody Rhodes, who also sports a recognizable bleached look.

Fans reacted strongly — and we mean strongly — when Burrow changed his hair slightly during the 2023 season; he debuted the long-haired look during the Bengals' first week of last season.

Burrow's barber, Darnell Bonner, said that cut was the quarterback's idea but Bonner's execution; it's not clear whether Bonner was involved in Burrow's new Slim Shady-esque style.