Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says Joe Burrow belongs in the same conversation as the NFL’s elite such as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.
Speaking with Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Taylor says the slow ascent of the offense in Cincinnati alongside Burrow’s development is what makes such a comparison fair:
“ZT: Yeah, I think so. You just look at the style of systems. How they operate is how we are starting to operate. Absolutely. I’m not changing out our quarterback for anything, people can take that however they want. We are happy we have Joe Burrow. Not one person in this building would swap him out.”
Taylor initially brought up those names when talking about playmaking quarterbacks who can also take off on the ground for huge plays.
The numbers would suggest the idea is fair. Besides last season’s Super Bowl trip, Burrow’s already up to a 68.9 completion percentage while averaging 7.8 yards per attempt. He’s got 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions and another 130 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
On film, the comparison is very much valid too. And it’s always worth pointing out Burrow has yet to experience a normal summer in the NFL. His first was derailed by COVID, the second by the knee recovery and the third by the burst appendix, making his ascent all the more impressive.
While much debate will rage over quarterback rankings as always, it’s pretty clear Burrow’s on the short list of guys franchises would love to have for the next decade-plus.
