Cincinnati Bengals: 5 bold predictions for the 2021 season
By Aaron Burd
Bold predictions for Cincinnati Bengals 2021 season
Joe Burrow wins Comeback Player of the Year
The biggest storyline going into the 2021 season is franchise quarterback Joe Burrow’s comeback after ending his rookie season short due to an injury he suffered in Week 11 against Washington.
Burrow’s progress is looking promising and it is expected that he will be able to return for Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings. With a fully loaded team of weapons around him, he should be a top candidate for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
Before his season was cut short, Burrow was having a great rookie year. With 2,688 yards and 13 touchdowns in only 10 games, the first overall pick of the 2020 draft was having one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback in recent memory. After a year of improvement from Tee Higgins and the addition of Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow has all the tools to build upon his rookie season and catapult himself into superstar status in 2021.
As it stands, Burrow is tied with Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey with the second-highest odds of winning the award at +600, second only to Dak Prescott at +175. The award has been given to a quarterback in 13 of the last 19 seasons, so it would be a good bet to put your money on either Burrow or Prescott.
Both Burrow and Prescott are extremely talented quarterbacks with two of the best wide receiver trios in the league. If anyone is poised to have a huge year in 2021, it’s these two. Both players are sure to have huge seasons, so the award may come down to who can take their team to the promised land: the playoffs.