Mike Daniels Praises Joe Burrow's Leadership: 'Bengals Got the Right One'
CINCINNATI — When Mike Daniels signed a one-year contract with the Bengals in August, he was hoping to help a young team get back to relevance.
The 31-year-old brought plenty of experience to the Queen City. He's played in 10 postseason contests, including an NFC Championship game.
Daniels spent seven seasons with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. He knows what greatness at the quarterback position looks like. It didn't take him long to realize that Bengals rookie Joe Burrow could be the NFL's next great signal-caller.
"I saw that from my first day. I knew he was going to be good from the time I walked into the locker room and I could just see his demeanor," Daniels said in an exclusive interview with AllBengals. "His demeanor didn't say that he was a rookie who was nervous about carrying a franchise. His demeanor said 'I'm here to lead us to win games.' Seeing him on the practice field, he does things the right way. Obviously we know he's got good pocket presence, good touch on the ball, but it wasn't hard to see that he's a quality guy and that's what you need, especially as your quarterback, as your leader. And for him to be the No. 1 pick, his humility is insane. He's definitely a true team leader. He does things the right way and I'm so glad I was able to be here with him."
Burrow led the Bengals to a 2-5-1 record in their first eight games. They had the lead going into the fourth quarter in six of those contests.
The 23-year-old didn't fold under the pressure of being a franchise quarterback. He didn't make excuses after being drafted by a 2-14 team. Instead, he took the reins of the Bengals franchise, which caught the attention of a veteran like Daniels.
"To have that leadership quality, that's hard. Because everybody's not a leader and we can see that. He was voted a captain as a rookie. The veterans in the locker room voted him as a captain," Daniels said. "Rookies don't get voted as captains. First overall pick, if anything, you don't vote first-round picks as captains just to keep them humble. No, they voted him as a captain because he has earned that respect. And to earn the respect of the vets, that's extremely hard to do, I don't care how well you can play. Well he earned it before he stepped on the field."
Burrow's leadership was on display in practice and in virtual meetings, but he was also at the forefront of the social injustice movement. He spoke out about racial injustice in America on multiple occasions.
Daniels and the rest of his teammates took notice. They asked the rookie to represent the entire organization at the National Underground Freedom Center in August.
Bengals center Trey Hopkins and Burrow read a statement from the team about social and racial injustice in America.
"It really speaks to the man he is and his preparation. He knows the NFL is mostly black. He lives in America and he knows being a quarterback, the No. 1 overall pick, he has to be a leader and he's leading all people," Daniels said. "For him to speak out on racial injustice the way he has really speaks to his character and he's doing it as such a young guy. He's a rookie speaking out like that. He's not scared. He's standing tall and he's showing that he's a guy you know you can depend on. To go outside of that comfort zone and speak on such a sensitive subject like that—he commands respect by doing that. He was asked to speak because of that. He's got great preparation. He knows who he is and what he needs to do and he's an awesome guy. The Bengals have definitely gotten the right one."
Burrow was on pace to break Andrew Luck's rookie record (4,374) for most passing yards in a season. Unfortunately, the rookie quarterback suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee in the third quarter of the Bengals' 20-9 loss to Washington in Week 11.
Burrow underwent successful surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. There's a chance he'll be back for the start of the 2021 season, but it's far from a sure thing.
"There's no question in my mind that he will [make a full recovery]," Daniels said. "An injury isn't going to stop a guy like Joe from really maximizing all of his opportunities, his potential and his ability. He's definitely going to bounce back. I have full confidence in him."
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