Joe Burrow working hard to have early NFL success
Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are just a few of the young quarterbacks that have quickly transformed their respective organizations in recent seasons.
Joe Burrow hopes to find similar success as a rookie. He will be Cincinnati bound when the Bengals take him with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Burrow had arguably the best season in college football history last year, leading LSU to a 15-0 record and a National Championship. He led the nation in multiple passing statistics, including yards (5,671), touchdowns (60) and completion percentage (76.3). He was the second player in LSU history to win the Heisman Trophy.
Burrow isn't worried about his past success. He's currently working with quarterback trainer Jordan Palmer in his quest to be the best.
“He’s trained guys like Deshaun [Watson] and [Patrick] Mahomes, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen,” Burrow told ESPN’s E:60. “They’ve all had a lot of early success and that’s something that I want to have next year.”
Winning in year one won’t be easy. The Bengals finished 2-14 last year and the AFC North is arguably the best division in the NFL.
"They're picking at the top for a reason and I feel like I've won everywhere I've ever been and that if anybody can do it, I can do it," Burrow said on The Big Podcast with Shaq. “I've won everywhere that I've been and never had a losing season in sports from the moment I was five years old. I'm not a loser, I just want to go somewhere where I can win."
The Bengals committed nearly $150 million in free agency, signing six projected starters and eight players total, in hopes of turning their organization around.
The situation in Cincinnati isn’t as bad as the national perception would indicate, but their success is going to come down to Burrow. He’s doing everything he can to make sure he’s ready to get to work when he hears his name called on April 23.
“There’s always areas that you can improve,” Burrow said. “You’re always trying to get better and Jordan’s really good at finding those little things that you can get better at to improve your game.”
Burrow reached out to legendary quarterback Peyton Manning last week for advice on how to transition to the NFL. Manning was drafted by the Colts with the top pick after they went 3-13 in 1997. He completely transformed their franchise. The Colts were 13-3 in Manning's second season (1999) and the perception of their organization changed overnight.
The Bengals 'maxed out' their meeting time with Burrow during the draft process, which means they've had three, 1-hour calls with the future No. 1 pick every week. Those meetings should help his transition and understanding of NFL terminology and Zac Taylor's system.
Burrow will have quality position players to throw to, at least on paper. A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon, John Ross and Auden Tate have the talent a rookie quarterback needs to have around him. Unfortunately for the Bengals, Green and Ross have played in 49 of a possible 96 games (51%) since 2017.
Green and Ross are former first round picks. Boyd and Mixon were taken in the second round. The rookie quarterback will have a dynamic group of weapons if they can stay healthy.
Burrow will enter the NFL with high expectations and the Bengals hope he can do for them, what he did at LSU — win.
