Bengals Roster: Realistic expectations for Joe Burrow in 2022
It’s year three for Joe Burrow on the Cincinnati Bengals roster. What should fans expect from their franchise quarterback in the 2022 season?
With the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals took Joe Burrow out of LSU. Burrow was coming off a season where he threw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns, and six interceptions, earning him the Heisman Trophy. He led the Tigers to the National Championship where the purple and yellow won it all.
As a rookie, Burrow was solid but a midseason injury forced him to miss the final six games of the year. Up until that point, Burrow had thrown for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing for 142 yards and three scores with his legs.
The injury was unfortunate and it led to others saying that the stripes should have spent the first overall pick on Justin Herbert instead. Herbert had put together an incredible rookie season and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year as a result.
Fortunately, Burrow proved in 2021 that he was worthy of being the top pick in 2020. He threw for a Bengals record of 4,611 yards during the regular season and tossed 34 touchdowns and 14 picks. He didn’t rush as much due to the surgery on his knee but he still dashed for 118 yards and two scores.
Burrow helped lead the Bengals, who had been a struggling franchise in the two seasons prior, to the Super Bowl and he showed confidence and swagger the whole way. He’s the right quarterback for this franchise and he proved that in 2021.
Bengals Roster: What should fans expect from Joe Burrow in 2022?
Burrow was fantastic during the 2021 season but it wouldn’t be crazy for his numbers to drop a bit this year. ESPN’s fantasy football projections for the former No. 1 overall pick this year are 4,185 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with 177 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
These would still be really good numbers. If Burrow can toss for over 4,000 yards for the second straight year and cut back on his interceptions, this team should be right back in contention for a Super Bowl title. If the offensive line lives up to the hype, he should be able to stay healthy and hit these numbers.
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What expectations do you have for Burrow this year?