Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and former Ohio State football player Joe Burrow had nothing but compliments for Chicago Bears quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett, his friend and former Buckeyes teammate.
Burrow was asked about Barrett during media availability after a Bengals-Bears joint practice Aug. 21.
"He's been one of my best friends for a long time," Burrow told reporters. "I've always said that I learned the most about being a leader and a quarterback from him, just watching him go about his business every day. A guy that takes it very seriously, you're never gonna see him waste a day. That was very beneficial for me, as a young player, to be around, to watch and learn from him."
Burrow and Barrett spent three seasons together at Ohio State.
Burrow redshirted his freshman year in 2015, while Barrett returned from an ankle injury to start half of the season. Barrett remained the starter in 2016 and 2017, while Burrow served as a reserve backup. Burrow never started a game for Ohio State.
Barrett went 38-6 overall and he set the Big Ten records for career touchdown passes (104) and total offensive yards (12,697). In 2018, Barrett went undrafted and signed with the New Orleans Saints as an NFL free agent.
Waived before the following season, Barrett had a few practice squad stints in 2019 before signing with the Edmonton Elks in the Canadian Football League in 2022. After tearing his Achilles twice, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell called Barrett and hired him as an offensive assistant coach.
After three seasons, Barrett was hired by the Chicago Bears as the quarterbacks coach in 2025 under head coach Ben Johnson, Campbell's former offensive coordinator. Barrett coached Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during the 2025 season, when the Bears reached the NFC Championship game.
Following his time at OSU, Burrow transferred to LSU and started for two seasons. His 2019 senior season was one of the most remarkable in college football history; Burrow won the national championship and the Heisman Trophy while leading the FBS in passing yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating.
The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Burrow with the No. 1 pick in 2019. He has started the past six seasons and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2021.
The Bengals and Bears will play in a preseason game at 7 p.m. Aug. 22.
"We've got to be even better friends throughout the years, which, you know, I've loved, and now I'm excited to spend some time with [Barrett] over the next couple days. Hopefully we can find some time to get together, but it's always special when I get to see him," Burrow said.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Joe Burrow shares what he learned from Ohio State teammate JT Barrett
