NFL Star Joe Burrow Shocks Eminem Fans With Slim Shady-Inspired Transformation

Will the real Joe Burrow please stand up? 

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback debuted a major hair transformation while walking into a team practice on July 23, and the bleached-blonde buzzcut made him appear nearly unrecognizable, with some fans even claiming he looks more like Eminem. 

But that comparison didn't come out of thin air. The Bengals' official account was the first to make the reference, adding a shoutout to the rapper's song "Just Lose It" when sharing photos of Joe, 27, rocking his new 'do with a hot pink t-shirt, floral-patterned shorts and slides.

In the caption of their July 23 Instagram post, the team quipped, "Guess who's back."

And fans weren't only in agreeance on Eminem and Joe's twinning moment. Some even came up with their own Slim Shady nods using one of the NFL star's nicknames, Joe Sheisty. 

"Shiesty back…tell a friend," one user commented on the post, while another added, "SLIM SHEISTY."

Others thought Joe's new style more likely took inspiration from an iconic movie character, with one user writing, "It's giving Ken from Barbie."

Another joked, "New nickname: Joe Kenough."

But some weren't ready to say goodbye to his luscious dirty blonde locks in the first place. 

"I just can't..." one user mourned. "@joeyb_9 we need your hair back!"

As for Joe? He's just excited to be showing more sides of his personality with the world as of late. 

"I’m a pretty private person, and so I try to keep as much as I can to myself,” the athlete explained during an interview at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June. “But I’m starting to branch out a little bit and get a little more comfortable sharing other parts of my personality."

Noting that he's still "starting to feel the process out," Joe added, "This is really the first year that I felt comfortable sharing more sides of myself with the fans, I would say."

For the football player, opening up about who he is off the field is part of a mission to bring a younger crowd into the stadiums to watch him play. 

"The way the younger generation is going is they really want to see the personality of the players,” Joe explained. "The personality of the people playing the game, not quite as interested in what’s happening on the field, and more interested in who’s playing."

Read on to see more celebrities' winning hair transformations.

The Emily in Paris star debuted her dramatic transformation at the world premiere of her new horror movie, MAXXXINE, on June 24. 

"Changing my hair always brings out different sides of my personality and I love playing around," Lily told Vogue. "This cut and color feels bolder and yet somehow lighter. And completely more me—right now."

While attending Chanel's Tribeca Film Festival Artists dinner on June 10, Katie debuted a subtle, yet striking transformation of rich caramel balayage highlights that were blended throughout her brunette tresses.

The Kardashians star debuted a platinum blonde look and a bob haircut after rocking waist-length strands for quite some time.

"Did someone say they missed king kylie," Kylie teased in the caption of her June 8 Instagram post, to which her sister Khloe Kardashian cheekily replied, "I did! I did!!!!!!"

The former Bravo star debuted a platinum blonde look during Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture.

The Heads of State star debuted a drastic haircut—a shoulder-grazing bob—while attending a Bulgari event in Rome on May 20. 

In May 2024, the actress chopped her hair into a bob that many fans on social media said reminded them of one of the looks she sported as Mary Camden on the '90s series 7th Heaven.

The Transformers actress returned to her dark brown tresses and debuted a sassy bob in May 2024, a month after she dyed her hair blue to enter what she dubbed her "Jedi era."

At age 17, the daughter of the late Anna Nicole Smith debuted a new lob hairstyle overnight during 2024 Kentucky Derby weekend, which she attended with dad Larry Birkhead.

The singer debuted a lighter, shorter 'do in April 2024.

The Fashion Police alum debuted a blonde bombshell hair transformation May 8.

Back to blonde: Kim debuted a new platinum 'do in April 2024.

The Fenty Beauty founder debuted a bright blonde hair transformation April 17 while celebrating her latest Fenty x Puma collection in London.

The model debuted a bleach blonde pixie cut at the FRAME event April 4.

The Jennifer's Body star traded in her bubblegum pink tresses for a baby blue bob, which she debuted April 2.

Less than a month afer chopping her hair into a long bob, Zendaya debuted a honey blonde transformation at the Challengers premiere March 26.

The Great star ushered in spring with a fresh cut, as she debuted a long bob March 25.

The Mean Girls alum swapped out her signature blonde hair for a dark brunette transformation on March 18.

The Selling Sunset star looked completely unrecognizable after debuting a dramatic blonde transformation March 16.

The Fashion Police alum ditched her signature purple hair after six years, tinting it an icy silver in March 2024. 

The Dune actress debuted a shoulder-grazing bob at Essence's Black Women in Hollywood Awards March 7.

The Anyone But You star made a showstopping appearance at Miu Miu's fall/winter 2024-2025 show during Paris Fashion Week. For the March 5 event, she unveiled a dramatic long bob haircut.

To prepare for her upcoming role as  Jean Seberg, the 29-year-old debuted a bleached blonde pixie cut.

The Princess Diaries alum unveiled fringe bangs at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

The star debuted a bangin' new style at the premiere of her friend Nicola Peltz Beckham's film Lola in February 2024.

The "On the Floor" singer made a dramatic hair change, as she debuted a chin-grazing bob cut at Schiaparelli's haute couture spring/summer 2024 show on Jan. 22.

In January 2024, a month after her prison release, the now-influencer shared a pic of herself sporting a shorter 'do.

Kylie Jenner traded in her dark locks for a pink 'do in January 2024.

In January 2024, the Dancing With the Stars personality shared a video of herself cutting her own hair. "Out with the old energy," she wrote, "and in with the new."

The Underworld actress took the plunge and went full blonde, while also debuting a short bob haircut.

The Daisy Jones & The Six actress debuted jet-black hair on Nov. 2.

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