For Cleveland Browns fans, it’s easy to be envious about plenty of other fan bases around the NFL. Many teams have stability at the quarterback position, which at least gives them a realistic shot at being in the mix as the season shakes out.
Meanwhile, heading into the regular season, the ever-underwhelming Deshaun Watson is set to start as quarterback, and Cleveland will likely be projected to select a quarterback early in the 2027 NFL Draft. That would probably be a sensible move, with there being a number of viable options in a loaded quarterback group set to come out. But it would still be far more ideal to have that spot solidified now.
There are numerous teams in the AFC that know they have a franchise player at that spot, and that other team in Ohio is one example. The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the game’s best quarterbacks in Joe Burrow, who was one of the key reasons they made a run to the Super Bowl not too long ago.
However, some seem to believe the Burrow Hype Train may be running out of steam, or at least he may be a bit overhyped.
In a recent piece featuring the opinions of those around the FanSided NFL network of writers, some voted Burrow as one of the NFL's nine most overrated players. Burrow was at No. 7 on the list.
Jerry Trotta of The Landry Hat was one of a pair of editors that had Burrow as No. 1 on the list, and here was the reasoning:
"At a position that demands year-over-year consistency more than any other in sports, Burrow hasn't delivered at the level of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, or Lamar Jackson. Yet, he remains Sharpied into the elite tier of NFL quarterbacks, and frequently ranked ahead of Jackson, who has a legitimate claim to three MVPs.
Slaying Mahomes in January bought him immense credit, and rightfully so, but he hasn't played a single postseason snap in three years. That drought and his lack of availability can't just be swept under the rug because he's — checks notes — 1-1 vs. Mahomes in the playoffs. What are we doing?"
Browns fans have seen enough of Joe Burrow to know he's the real deal
Burrow hasn’t had the same type of run since Cincinnati lost a close Super Bowl to the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, but it’s not as if Burrow’s play has fallen off a cliff. He’s continued to show why he’s one of the game’s top signal-callers. Last season, he had 17 touchdowns and five interceptions over his eight starts.
The problem with Burrow and why some may believe he’s overrated is likely because of his injury history. Burrow battled a turf toe injury last season, and in the 2023 campaign, was limited to 10 games due to a torn ligament in his wrist.
That perception aside, Burrow has proven to be one of the game’s top passers, and he’ll continue to demonstrate that in 2026 and beyond.
Although Cincinnati did not make the playoffs in the 2024 season, in large part because of the Bengals stumbling out of the gate, it’s not as if Burrow wasn’t sensational. Two seasons ago, Burrow posted career highs in passing yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43), and even with the workload, only threw nine interceptions. Cincinnati had only a 4-4 record in games they scored at least 30 points in that 2024 season, and for further context, Cincinnati's defense has ranked 21st, 25th and 30th in scoring defense over the last three seasons.
Cincinnati’s offense, when Burrow's been at the helm, has not been the issue, and in that 2024 season Burrow led the NFL in passing and passing touchdowns. Over the last five seasons, only three QBs have tossed more touchdowns than Burrow, and Burrow has played in at least 13 fewer games than those players, in Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Jared Goff.
Granted, Burrow is not the running threat of Allen, nor Mahomes to some degree. But he's still more than capable of making plays on the move.
Even with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins being big-time playmakers for him to target, Burrow has regularly proven he’s one of the game’s best quarterbacks when he’s been out there, and his play speaks for itself. Plus, Burrow's career playoff record being 5-2 is pretty impressive, especially when factoring in that more than half of those games were played away from home.
Referring to Burrow as one of the game’s most overrated players doesn’t make sense, considering how regularly he shreds opposing defenses at all levels of the field. No matter how one wants to slice it, Burrow is one of the game’s best. He heads into the 2026 season at No. 2 in Pro Football Focus’ quarterback rankings, and has regularly proven his superstardom.
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