Joe Burrow Making Case As Best Young Quarterback in NFL

Burrow one win away from leading Bengals back to playoffs for first time since 2015

It’s no secret Joe Burrow has elevated his game to new heights after recovering from a devastating knee injury in 2020, but the former LSU signal-caller faces a difficult challenge Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Riding an eight-game win streak, the Patrick Mahomes led squad is clicking at the right time after a sluggish start, but Burrow has notoriously shown up when the lights are brightest. With a chance to clinch the AFC North Sunday, Burrow and his Bengals are ready for the task at hand this weekend.

"This is a big opportunity, whether it's the Chiefs or whoever they throw out there against us," Burrow said. "We've got an opportunity to go out there and win and win our division and make the playoffs. We're playing a really good team that's been in the Super Bowl the last two years, so it's a big opportunity in that sense."

Matching up against a quarterback who can put up points in the blink of an eye like Mahomes is an enormous test, but the respect Burrow has for the former MVP and Super Bowl champion goes without saying. Running up the score is something the Bengals are prepared for, looking to counter on each chance they get.

“[Mahomes] just always seems to make plays when a play needs to be made,” Burrow said. “No matter what happens early in the game, he always comes through in the clutch to score points when they need to. He’s been doing it for years. Excited for the opportunity we have.”

Carving his own path in the NFL, Burrow has never been one to compare himself to others, but to take down the former Super Bowl champions and punch their ticket into the playoffs is a piece he can add to his résumé Sunday.

Taking the Bengals from one of the worst franchises in the NFL to potentially clinching the division in a two-year span is remarkable, but isn’t something new. Burrow is a program changer, even dating back to his stint in Death Valley. Arriving in Baton Rouge, he changed the culture of LSU from a run-heavy offense to one of the most dynamic offenses college football has seen in just two short years.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer spoke on the culture change Burrow brings to whoever he suits up for and the game manager type skillset he attains.

“[Burrow] changed what LSU was,” Breer said on The Ryen Russillo Podcast. “And I know they had great players other than him – Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Clyde Edwards-Helaire – an awesome, awesome offense. If you talk to people who scout that region… that guy was the culture changer and I think you’re seeing that again in Cincinnati.”

Now leading the Bengals, he’s changed their fate in, you guessed it, two short years. With the new generation of elite NFL quarterbacks showing out, whether it be Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert or Kyler Murray, it’s time Burrow gets the same recognition those superstars have.

“Watching Joe Burrow, I’m not sure there’s another quarterback [age] 25 and under that I would take over him,” Breer said. “Other than Trevor Lawrence, I don’t know if there’s one that I would even think that much about. I think Burrow like, because he’s kind of hidden in Cincinnati, a lot of people aren’t paying attention to what’s happening there.”

“I’m not sure there’s a QB [age] 25 and under that I would take over him.” —Albert Breer on Bengals QB Joe Burrow@AlbertBreer spoke to @ryenarussillo about why he’d take Burrow over any other young QB in the NFL on the latest #RussilloPod pic.twitter.com/PwLU82TCls

— The Ringer (@ringer) December 28, 2021

In a relatively small market playing for Cincinnati, it’s not surprising Burrow hasn’t gotten the national notoriety just yet as he was snubbed from this season’s Pro Bowl, but elevating this team to a playoff contender, it’s time him and his squad get more media looks. With a play style that makes everyone around him better, this year isn’t a fluke for the Bengals, rather it’s the standard Burrow demands of his team and will be for the foreseeable future.

“The way he manages the game, the way he has an awareness of situations, the way he plays when it matters most,” Breer said. “There’s some things that remind me of [Tom] Brady. Just the way he carries himself, the chip he has on his shoulder… I just think some of the traits that you see in Burrow really sort of remind me of Brady.”

With the chance to punch their ticket to the playoffs against the Chiefs, Burrow and the Bengals will have everyone’s attention as they take on one of the league’s best. Solidifying himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, Burrow’s rise has been nothing short of spectacular for his hometown Cincinnati Bengals.