This is a huge year for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and fans can’t wait to see the 2020 No. 1 overall pick in action after a promising rookie campaign that was cut short by an injury.
Bengals fans certainly have high hopes for Burrow this year but non-Bengals fans see big things for the former LSU product too. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports ranked young quarterbacks who have the best chance of making a ‘Josh Allen-type leap’ in 2021 and Burrow was No. 1 on Trapasso’s list.
"Burrow doesn’t have freaky athleticism or arm talent, yet he maximizes his physical capabilities as an improviser, and it’s a reliable aspect of his game. Burrow needs to improve his downfield accuracy, and that will come in his second season running the show thanks in large part to Chase’s presence and a bigger, stronger Higgins on the outside.Will Burrow’s game be elevated to MVP-caliber status? Not quite. But the decisive, accurate passer will be viewed by some as a top-10 quarterback at season’s end."
Josh Allen wasn’t looking all that impressive early in his career but he exploded onto the scene in 2020 and made a strong case to win NFL MVP. He led the Bills to the AFC Championship Game and has given Buffalo the most hope they’ve had in 20 years when it comes to reaching a Super Bowl. That’s what an Allen-type leap means, for those of you who might not have been aware.
While Burrow probably won’t lead the Bengals to the AFC Championship Game this year, it’s not farfetched at all to think he could make a significant leap and make the Bengals a more competitive and more relevant team. Cincinnati gave him his favorite weapon from his LSU days and while they could have done more upfront, they didn’t sit back and not do anything on the o-line.
Look for Joe Burrow to make a big leap in 2021.
Trapasso doubts that Burrow probably won’t be an MVP by any means (even though he has been considered a dark horse candidate for the award) but Bengals fans are fine with that. Seeing the face of their franchise become a top-tier quarterback and keep the team in games is the best thing that can happen for the Bengals in 2021.
Some of the other names on the list were Kyler Murray of the Cardinals, Daniel Jones of the Giants, Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins, and Drew Lock of the Broncos. Murray is also a former No. 1 overall pick and is the likeliest to battle Burrow for this specific topic and the rest are guys who haven’t shown much to this point of their careers.
Bengals fans are excited to watch Burrow in his sophomore season and the offensive line is going to be the biggest factor between him making the Allen-type leap and continuing to be in the bottom half of quarterbacks.