Ken Anderson 'looking forward' to Joe Burrow winning a Super Bowl with Bengals
Ken Anderson is the best quarterback in Bengals history. He spent 16 years in Cincinnati, which included an NFL MVP and a Super Bowl run in 1981.
Joe Montana and the 49ers edged out the Bengals 26-21 in Super Bowl XVI. Anderson hopes No. 1 pick Joe Burrow can bring a championship to the Queen City.
"I welcomed him to the Cincinnati quarterback community. We've had a little success here," Anderson said on After Hours with Amy Lawrence. "I said 'I took a team to the Super Bowl, Boomer (Esiason) took a team to the Super Bowl and that we're looking forward to him winning a Super Bowl for us so we can all ride his coat tails."
The Bengals also lost to the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII. Boomer Esiason won MVP that season, but it was the same result — a loss in the championship game.
The Bengals hope the Burrow-era is different. Anderson was impressed with what he saw from the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner last season.
"He never had a bad game. He looked the same game in, game out," Anderson said. "I don't care if it was the National Championship Game or another, [he] played the toughest schedule, performed at a high level.
"I really liked his accuracy. You saw him make NFL throws in every game, whether it's moving and the high back shoulder throw to a wide receiver and he had some great talent around him, but he put them in positions to make plays. I'm really excited he's a part of the Bengals."
There will be an adjustment period for Burrow. It won't be all sunshine and rainbows for the No. 1 pick. The 1981 NFL MVP believes he'll be up to the challenge.
"The game will be a little bit faster for him," Anderson said. "A lot of times you see college quarterbacks — receivers are wide open. It's not necessarily the case in the NFL. Learning to anticipate that and you may think a guy's open, but putting the ball in the right spot, he becomes open. It's encouraging because you see him make those throws every game. I think he's going to have tremendous success."
Both Anderson and Esiason believe Burrow can take the Bengals to new heights. Only time will tell if they're right.
