When the Bengals drafted Joe Burrow a few years ago, there were some question marks about how good he could be. He had just come off arguably one of the greatest seasons in college football history with the LSU Tigers. However, some people thought he was a system quarterback or a one-hit-wonder. There was also a narrative of him not being a durable signal-caller due to Cincinnati’s inadequate offensive line. He has proved that he is the real deal in his first two years as an NFL quarterback.
Burrow showed some flashes in his first season, but he got hurt before the season ended, so we could not see how far he could take the Bengals.
This season has been Joe Burrow’s coming-out party. Burrow has thrown for 4,611 passing yards, 34 touchdowns to only 14 interceptions. He led the Bengals to the AFC North title in the regular season. He has helped them beat the Raiders, Titans, and Chiefs so far in the playoffs.
It has prompted some people to compare him to Tom Brady (the former NFL quarterback most people believe is the greatest). The way that Burrow has responded to adversity in the last two playoff games could be an early indicator of how special the former number one overall pick can become.
Former NFL quarterback Brady Quinn had the guts to make the comparison.
“Joe Burrow is the next Tom Brady with the way he plays the game. The difference with this past week’s game and why Joe Burrow is playing in the Super Bowl and Patrick Mahomes isn’t. It is not just his pocket movement and accuracy, and how to clutch he is. Joe Burrow plays smart. He plays within the pocket within the system; he makes the smart football decision,” explained Quinn.
This is a huge comparison because Tom Brady was great for a long time, but Quinn makes some valid points. He is not the only person who has made that comparison. In fact, one of his former teammates at Ohio State saw this potential from Burrow.
Former Ohio State running back Mike Weber tweeted about five years ago a similar take “Joe Burrow is the Next Tom Brady, and y’all don’t even yet.”
What makes Joe Burrow so great is the ultimate game manager like Tom Brady. Usually, people think being a game manager is a negative connotation, but it is not. He is willing to take what the defense gives him and live to see the next play because he sees the bigger picture.
He still has a long way to go to be the next Tom Brady, but he is definitely on the right track. A Super Bowl title on Burrow’s resume is the only accolade remaining for one of the greatest two-year turnarounds in league history.
Photo courtesy of sharpfootballanalysis.com
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