Bengals: Joe Burrow is in the right spot on Chris Simms’ QB rankings
Chris Simms’ complete quarterback rankings have been released and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow came in at No. 17. This is the perfect spot for Burrow despite what some fans might think.
The main thing to keep in mind with Burrow’s ranking is that he missed the final six games of the season, so we weren’t able to see what he could do in a full regular season. Quarterbacks who appeared in all 16 regular-season games have that advantage over him, as unfair as that might be.
Burrow trailed Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr, Matt Ryan, and Kirk Cousins on the list, who were No. 12-16 on the list respectively. These guys are tougher to rank because while they’re not top 10 signal-callers, they put up decent numbers and some of them were one of the few bright spots on their team (Carr and Ryan, for example).
Burrow had a nice rookie season, throwing for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 10 starts. Obviously, the injury is what most people are going to remember from his rookie campaign and that’s unfortunate, as Burrow showed potential in his first year at the helm in Cincinnati.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow is ranked correctly on Chris Simms’ list.
It’s hard to really argue with where Burrow is placed on these kinds of lists because of that injury he suffered in Week 11. On the one hand, he was on pace for an impressive rookie season with a team that won just two games the year before, but on the other hand, we don’t know what type of numbers he’d have finished the season with had he not gotten hurt.
For the guys ranked ahead of him, they all managed to stay healthy and put up nice numbers. Tannehill and Mayfield led their teams to the playoffs, which is ranking them higher makes sense. Carr threw for over 4,100 yards, Ryan for over 4,500 yards, and Cousins for over 4,200 yards with 35 touchdowns.
Burrow has gotten plenty of praise this offseason despite getting injured and that’s why him being considered a “middle of the pack” quarterback on Simms’ list shouldn’t upset anyone. With a good 2021 season under his belt, he’ll not only rise tremendously on this list but will have done so with a team that looked to be in turmoil prior to his arrival.
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He’ll get the recognition he deserves but he needs to stay healthy for an entire season in order to do so. Hopefully, the offensive line can step it up and make sure he gets the protection he needs.