NFL: Ranking every quarterback midseason

NFL: Ranking every quarterback midseason: 10. Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals

Many didn’t expect Joe Burrow to take this kind of leap this season. The Bengals decided to go for another wide receiver in the NFL Draft despite the fact there was a superstar offensive lineman on the board. Burrow was coming off a torn ACL that ended his season in 2020. There was a lack of chemistry in Zac Taylor’s system. None of that mattered, and the Bengals are one of the surprise teams this season.

Burrow hasn’t exactly faced the easiest of competition, either. He had huge games against the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings, and he put up decent stats in a loss to the Green Bay Packers. He was extremely efficient in a win against the Steelers, and that shows he is able to adjust based on need and opponent.

The real blossoming of Burrow is his relationship with Ja’Marr Chase. Chase helped put Burrow on the map at LSU. They have built-in chemistry that he doesn’t have with Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. Burrow is able to find Chase down the field because he knows exactly what he is going to do in every situation.

The Bengals look like playoff contenders for the first time since the peak of the Andy Dalton era. Burrow might be the first time that the Bengals have had a star-level quarterback since Carson Palmer. He might even push further on this list by the end of the season.