Analyst Believes Joe Burrow Belongs in MVP Conversation
CINCINNATI — Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow has been the Bengals' best player so far this season.
The 23-year-old is on pace to throw for 4,544 yards, which would break Andrew Luck's rookie record (4,374).
Burrow is completing 67% of his passes and has carried the Bengals' offense in their first eight games.
There are plenty of people that expect him to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, including defensive tackle Mike Daniels.
"He’s a rookie strictly because of the amount of time he’s been in the NFL. But his mentality, his swagger if you want to say that, I use the word poise, just the way he goes about and conducts business, he’s a true leader," Daniels said. "The guy, he’s doing some great things already. No doubt in my mind he’ll be the rookie of the year. And he’s going to have a very very great career, and I’m just glad to be a part of the beginning phases of it."
The rookie of the year conversation will continue for the rest of the season, but one analyst took it a step farther on Wednesday.
Former NFL defensive back Domonique Foxworth believes Burrow should be in the MVP conversation.
"I understand that MVP has come to mean something different—it's come to mean like best player on the best team, but you can't convince me that anybody's been more valuable to their team than Joe Burrow," Foxworth said on ESPN's Get Up. "He's been hit 36 times and is on a team that is ranked 27th for pass protection. Thirty-six hits - the only players that have been hit more than him are Daniel Jones and Carson Wentz. And those guys are the worst in the league when it comes to turnovers, and Burrow only has eight. It's incredible. And then you look at the fact that they beat the Titans last week. We were ready to crown the Steelers when they beat the Titans. The Bengals beat the Titans by more than the Steelers did. Then you put on top of it the fact that he is dealing with an insufficient defense. They have had a fourth-quarter lead in six of their eight games so far this year and the Bengals have blown that lead because no one gives up more points in the fourth quarter than the Cincinnati Bengals.
"He's already matched the win total from the team last year. So I understand that the way that we talk about MVP right now is normally about the best quarterback honestly on the best team. That's what we did last year - we gave it to Lamar Jackson. And the year before that, Patrick Mahomes. That's kinda the criteria. But if you listen to the actual words - who's been more valuable than Joe Burrow, the rookie quarterback on a truncated offseason that's come in and turned this team into a real contender and knocked off last week one of the best teams, or at least what we thought was one of the better teams in the AFC? I think Burrow is a legit MVP candidate."
Burrow isn't going to win the MVP award this season, but if his first eight games have shown us anything, it's that he could win a few trophies during his NFL career.
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