Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is arguably the best player at the position when he's healthy. Unfortunately, medical hardships have been hard for him to avoid throughout his NFL career.
Burrow blew out his knee as a rookie, had a calf injury and appendicitis impact two of his other training camps, shredded a ligament in his right throwing wrist, and suffered a turf toe injury in Week 2 last year that required surgery.
So yeah. Joe Brrr's been through it. And he's overdue for a season of good health. Sounds like Burrow is confident that'll be the case based on how he feels right now, which should have the rest of the NFL scared amid sky-high expectations.
Joe Burrow might as well be penciled in as NFL MVP now thanks to excellent health
In an interview with USA Today's Sports Seriously, Burrow emphasized just how good his body feels, and why last year's setback wasn't as big of a deal as prior injuries (h/t Bengals Brasil on X/Twitter for the transcription):
"It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time. I had some tough years with injuries and stuff, and it took a while to get my body the way I wanted it, but now I’m in a really good place. I had a lot of time this year. You know, I hurt my big toe in Week 2, and I couldn’t be on the field, but it wasn’t as debilitating an injury as some of the others I’ve had. So I was able to keep working out and staying in shape, keeping my body strong. I had time to recover and still got back to play. The older I get, the more knowledge I have about my body to make sure I’m doing the right things to put myself in positions to be as strong, fast, and powerful as I can be."
When Burrow has actually made it through a full season, the Bengals have gone to the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl in two of those three years. In the other one (2024), he played at an MVP level, and helped Ja'Marr Chase win the Triple Crown — only to be let down by an abysmal defense.
If the arrival of Dexter Lawrence has the anticipated impact of elevating the rest of the front seven around him, Cincinnati's D should make a big leap forward. Burrow is 11-6 in his last 17 games despite knocking off some injury rust in that span, not to mention how he's had to basically score at will to keep his team in most games.
Joe Shiesty doesn't need much to get the Bengals to easy double-digit win territory. The schedule sets up favorably as is in terms of quality of opponents, and the AFC North is one giant question mark as the other three teams adjust to new coaching staffs.
With all 11 starters coming back on offense in 2026, Cincinnati has the benefit of maximum coaching and personnel continuity on Burrow's side of the ball. Combine that with all the defensive acquisitions, and it's hard to envision how this isn't a successful season.
As long as Burrow can stay in the lineup, the Bengals have the makings of a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and Joe should absolutely be a front-runner for league MVP honors.
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