Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was firmly in the conversation as the best passer in the NFL this year, hence the coaching staff blowup after the team failed to reach the playoffs.
But not everyone would agree, it seems.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic, for example, spoke with anonymous NFL executives and one said that players like Burrow, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson will never match Patrick Mahomes.
“It is all about rings for the QBs,” the executive said. “To be considered one of the greats, you need at least one (Super Bowl victory) on your resume to be in that elite group. Allen, Lamar and Burrow are outstanding, but without a ring—or two or three—they’ll never approach the level of Brady and Mahomes.”
This is a very NBA-styled way to look at things, of course. Statistically speaking, Burrow was one of the best in the NFL this year. It’s also not a secret that much about a quarterback’s success hinges on where he’s drafted and how those surroundings support him.
Unfortunately for Burrow, though he 100 percent deserves to be in the MVP conversation, it’s this type of black-and-white thinking that will keep him from winning it.
