3 Reasons Why Joe Burrow Isn’t a Top 5 Quarterback in NFL Right Now
Joe Burrow has been a part of the Cincinnati Bengals since 2020.
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Joe Burrow (Image via IMAGO)
Joe Burrow reached the Super Bowl in his second season as the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback. Since then, Burrow has been part of the top 5 quarterback conversation in the NFL. But some have reservations about naming Burrow in the same bracket as Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson.
Chris Canty on First Take announced that he’s “tired of all the Joe Burrow sycophants.” According to Canty, Burrow has had several opportunities to win a ring or reach another Super Bowl. And unlike Allen, Burrow has a couple of top receivers—Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins—to throw to. Canty said on First Take:
Guess what, Joe Burrow has exactly what he wants, and guess what, it’s amounted to zero playoff wins [since 2021].
Burrow has a 5-2 record in the postseason. But a chunk of those wins came during the 2021 season.
Joe Burrow has missed too many games
Last week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler released its annual NFL quarterback list. Fowler created the list after taking votes from several NFL coaches, executives, and scouts. Burrow ranked fourth on the list, behind Bills’ Josh Allen, Chiefs Patrick Mahomes, and Rams Matthew Stafford.
Canty ripped the ESPN list. He claimed that Burrow hasn’t done enough to be a top 5 quarterback in the league. Canty claimed that Burrow has played limited games since the Bengals’ last Super Bowl appearance.
I don’t get it. First of all, the best ability is availability. In two of the last three years, Joe Burrow has missed two months of the season, and it just happens to coincide with the Cincinnati Bengals being on the outside looking in of the postseason in three straight years.
Burrow has missed 17 games—a full season since 2021.
Joe Burrow’s inflated contract has limited the Bengals’ spending potential
Canty further noted that the Bengals’ spending power has taken a significant hit since Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension in 2023—a $55 million per year deal. The Bengals’ cap situation has hindered their attempts to build a competent team.
Burrow had to push the Bengals to sign both Chase and Higgins to new deals. Chase signed a four-year, $161 million contract extension while Higgins penned a four-year, $115 million contract extension. According to Over the Cap, the Bengals are spending nearly $90,286,157 on just three players.
For this reason, the Bengals have had a very lopsided roster. The offense is among the best, but because they didn’t invest much in defense, they rank near the bottom in that department.
Great quarterbacks often take pay cuts to help the organization build a strong, well-rounded team. Tom Brady was famous for adopting this philosophy. Even Patrick Mahomes has followed in Brady’s footsteps. They have a combined 10 Super Bowl wins.
Joe Burrow has a poor injury history
Burrow’s injury woes began in 2023. He suffered a wrist injury and missed seven games. The Bengals missed the playoffs.
The following year, the Bengals offense was among the best in the NFL. Burrow won the comeback player of the year award while Chase secured a rare triple crown—led the league in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. However, due to the Bengals’ atrocious defense, they missed the playoffs again despite securing a 9-8 record.
In 2025, Burrow suffered a turf toe injury. The Bengals announced that it had caused “significant ligament damage” and he underwent surgery. Burrow returned in November, but any chance of postseason qualification was already over.
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Ishan Misra
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