The wave of robberies targeting NFL stars, which has already hit the homes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, reached the residence of Joe Burrow, quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office in Ohio.

"The home was ransacked. Mr. J Burrow was out of town and could not provide details about what items were taken from the house," part of the police report on the case stated. The home of the Bengals quarterback was robbed on the night of Monday, December 4, while Burrow and his team were defeating the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 13 matchup at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

An organized criminal network

On November 21, the NFL issued a security alert to the 32 teams, urging precautions against repeated robberies carried out by a transnational criminal network targeting professional athletes.

Burrow's home joined the list of robberies that took place on October 7, when the homes of Mahomes and Kelce, from the defending champion Chiefs, were robbed while they were playing against the New Orleans Saints. Also targeted by this network was Linval Joseph, former defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys, in the last week of September.

The NFL alert mentioned how "sophisticated and well-organized" this criminal network is, urging players to improve security on doors and windows, and to be cautious when sharing plans, locations, habits, and luxury items on their social media.

According to league information, the criminals are non-aggressive and do not rob houses while the residents are inside. They use public records to find the players' addresses, conduct thorough surveillance days before the heist, and track game schedules and players’ social media accounts. They wait for the houses to be empty, preferably during games, and then enter to steal cash and items such as jewelry, watches, and handbags, focusing mainly on master bedrooms and closets.