Peyton Manning, one of the NFL’s all-time best quarterbacks, sat down with Stephen A. Smith for an interview. During their discussion, the two-time Super Bowl winner listed off his top five quarterbacks heading into the 2024 season.
Manning has high praise for Burrow
Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow earned the number two spot on that list. The only signal-caller who was ahead of him was Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Of Cincinnati’s star quarterback, Manning said, “I’m a big fan of Burrow. I’m glad to see him back healthy. I like the way he carries himself. I like his demeanor out there. He doesn’t sweat. He doesn’t flinch. He’s just kind of calm and cool the whole time.”
The Bengals now having one of the best quarterbacks in the league should not be taken for granted. Not too long ago, the team had difficulty finding a quarterback who could lead them to the playoffs, let alone be considered one of the best in the league. Some Bengals fans have become spoiled.
The first thing that jumps out when listening to Manning’s rankings is that all of his best QBs play in the AFC. Mahomes and Burrow took the top two spots, while Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen rounded out the rest of the list.
The Bengals already have to deal with the toughest division in football. Once in the playoffs, the AFC teams will face more challenging opponents at the most critical position on the field than their NFC counterparts.
Luckily, we have already seen Burrow navigate that gauntlet. When healthy, he showed he should be considered the second-best quarterback by getting the Bengals to back-to-back AFC championship games and a Super Bowl.
Bengals Ring-of-Honor member Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson reacted to Manning’s list, saying matter-of-factly, “It ain’t rocket science the first two.”
Johnson’s co-host, NFL Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, echoed what Johnson said, adding, “If you look at what Joe has done. Joe went on the road; He beat Buffalo. He went on the road, and he beat Tennessee. He went on the road; he beat Patrick Mahomes. Something that only Tom Brady has done.”
Peyton Manning mentioning Burrow as the second-best quarterback in the league today is a huge compliment. And we know a healthy Burrow is the NFL’s best hope for knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs, now one of the Bengals’ biggest rivals. Let’s hope the men in stripes are there at the end and get the chance to do just that.