Bengals’ Joe Burrow backs stricter gun control measures: ‘You’ve gotta at least make it harder’

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow urged U.S. lawmakers to enact new gun control legislation to “make it harder” for people to purchase “those crazy guns,” a likely reference to long rifles.

The NFL star’s remarks came during a press conference Tuesday, when he said he does not believe people should be able to “just walk in” a gun store and purchase a firearm and that there should be a “rigorous process” to buy a gun.

Americans wishing to purchase a firearm from a licensed gun store are currently required to undergo background checks.

“With everything that’s going on, if you’re not going to outlaw everything, you’ve gotta at least make it harder to get those crazy guns that everybody is using,” Burrow said. “I don’t think you should be able to just walk in there and buy one. You gotta be able to go through a rigorous process to buy something like that, I think.”

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“Hopefully, the people who get paid to make those decisions figure that out. My job is to play football, but hopefully the politicians can figure that out,” he continued.

Burrow’s comments come after a string of recent mass shootings in New York, Texas and elsewhere. 

Other sports figures like Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr have spoken out in favor of new gun control measures in recent weeks.

“When are we going to do something? I’m tired,” Kerr said at a press conference in May following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. “I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I’m so tired. Excuse me. I’m sorry. I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough.”

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A group of senators announced a bipartisan gun control framework on Sunday. The proposal includes funding for school safety, investments in mental health services, expanded background checks for gun buyers under 21 years of age, grants for states that implement red flag laws, penalties for straw purchases of firearms and new protections for victims of domestic abuse.

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The measure would also clarify the definition of a federally licensed firearm dealer.

President Joe Biden said he would sign the legislation into law should it pass the House and Senate.

“With bipartisan support, there are no excuses for delay, and no reason why it should not quickly move through the Senate and the House,” the president said in a statement. “Each day that passes, more children are killed in this country: the sooner it comes to my desk, the sooner I can sign it, and the sooner we can use these measures to save lives.”