Joe Burrow, Ted Karras Cook Meals Together, Dive Into MASSIVE Calorie Needs For Offensive Linemen

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Joe Burrow, Ted Karras Cook Meals Together, Dive Into MASSIVE Calorie Needs For Offensive Linemen

Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) and center Ted Karras (64) bump helmets during pregame warmups against the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Russell Heltman · Cincinnati Bengals On SI

Sat, Sep 12, 2026 ·

3 min read

Cooking Companions

Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) takes a snap from center Ted Karras (64) in the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The two made a seafood boil and some tacos, while Burrow noted he likes to reverse-sear his steaks (my top way to cook them as well).

"What are you making over there, Joe?" Karras asked in a back-and-forth with his star quarterback. "Got a little turkey burger, cooking off your shrimp for you for some tacos. I'm gonna make some guacamole here. I often do eat a lot of avocados. Do you? I'm not a big avocado guy (Burrow said). Not as much. Not as much."

Karras has to eat throughout the day to keep up his weight at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds.

"I make up the gap at night. I do about a 1,200-1,500 calorie shake," Karras said about the process. "Ice cream, eggs, collagen protein. Throw a little olive oil. Throw a little honey in."

Burrow has had to bulk similarly before.

"In college, I used to set an alarm. I'd eat a peanut butter and jelly like at three in the morning," Burrow noted. "It's hard to go to sleep after you eat that much food."

Karras's tacos looked pretty tasty, with a guacamole he's had plenty of experience making before; he actually sliced his hand up a bit in 2022 while making it for Burrow and some teammates during a team-bonding cookout.

"Now for these tacos here, we got seasoned shrimp, little slaw, and I'm gonna throw a little guac on top of mine," Karras noted. "This is a recovery meal. I mean, turkey and shrimp are very lean protein sources. I think everything on this table is very healthy, fresh, and clean. This burger's looking pretty good. It does look really good. I thought the shrimp was fantastic."

Fueling up the right way ahead of the 2026 season.

Check out the full back-and-forth cooking video with Cincinnati's stars below from Kroger:

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