Denver Broncos Pro Bowl linebacker Nik Bonitto had some high praise for Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow.
Burrow's Bengals bested Bonitto's Broncos, 30-24, back in late December when both teams were in the thick of the playoff push and Bonitto left that contest extremely impressed with Cincinnati's star quarterback.
"Every time that the ball was hiked, like the ball's already getting out, and he knew where he wanted to go," Bonitto said of Burrow, via Sports Illustrated. "It was always on the money.
"So when we talk about a guy that's just able to be smart and manipulate the pocket like he does, it was a tough go for us, bro, like he was harder to sack and get together than like any other quarterback just because if he sees you going high he's gonna escape through the B-Gap, and he's gonna find a receiver or he's just gonna run."
Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto is very impressed with Joe Burrow
Burrow's greatness is no secret, but it's still cool to hear one of the better defenders in the league marvel at his abilities.
In 2024, Burrow led the league in completions, passing yards and touchdown tosses. He also became just the third quarterback in history to have over 4,500 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions (Burrow had nine). Legends Tom Brady (2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2011) were the first two players to post such stats.
As a result of his productive play, Burrow was named a finalist for the MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards. Burrow ultimately fell short in both categories, but he did win the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award for the second time in his career.
Burrow previously won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2021 after suffering a season-ending knee injury during his rookie campaign. He became just the second player in NFL history to win the award twice, and the first player ever to win the award multiple times with the same team.
Quarterback Chad Pennington is the only previous two-time winner of the award. He won it once as a member of the New York Jets and once with the Miami Dolphins.
The scary thing for opposing defenders is that Burrow is still just 28 yers old, and he might not even have reached his prime as a passer yet. So, he's likely to continue to put fear into the hearts of defenses for the foreseeable future.