Joe Burrow Lands Among Top-10 Passers in Multiple Traits Entering 2026 Season

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky dropped his annual NFL quarterback trait ranking last week, and Joe Burrow landed among the top 10 names in multiple categories.

The major turf toe injury last season dinged him a bit in some spots, but Orlovsky still clearly loves how Burrow operates Cincinnati's offense.

Rankings

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) runs the to the sideline during the first quarter of the Bengals home opener against the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium Sunday, September 8, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Check out where he ranked in each category and Orlovsky's blurb on Burrow (if written):

Arm Strength: Eighth

Ball Placement: Fourth

Let's start by addressing a big shift at the top. Burrow was the top-ranked QB in ball placement on each of the past two lists I've put together. He's now No. 4. He's still extremely good in this area, able to pin the ball to his receivers. But injuries cost him more than half of the 2025 season, and they opened the door for some others to move up the list a bit. Fair or not, I'm factoring in time on task. And Stafford came out every Sunday and fired bull's-eyes with conviction.

Mechanics: Second

It's neck and neck between Matthew Stafford and Burrow. Things that matter here:

Clean, smooth throwing motions from start to finish
Strong bases that keep the QB in rhythm and firm
Repeatable processes that don't change from rep to rep, even when things get chaotic around the QB

That last one is key for Stafford and Burrow. Defenses don't know what's coming because every throw looks the same coming out. It's amazing consistency. The tight connection between Stafford's upper and lower body allows him to pull off all those no-look throws. Defenses can't tell the difference until his release, and bam, the ball is going somewhere unexpected.

Decision-Making: Eighth

Here are the league's top problem solvers. Being a good decision-maker means making the right choice when things are going to plan, but it also means making the only choice when things are falling apart. Find the correct outlet, but avoid mistakes, turnovers, and negative plays.

Pocket Presence: Second

Despite the injuries that derailed his season, I kept Burrow second on the list. I love watching him operate in a phone booth, with tiny adjustments to stay clean and deliver the ball in a composed manner over and over again. (Sam) Darnold and (Caleb) Williams took big jumps in pocket presence; Williams even led the league in sack rate at 3.3%. Purdy displays the skills to deal with muddy pockets, and Herbert uses his big 6-foot-6 frame to stay firm.

Second Reaction: Unranked

There were a bunch of guys who could have been on here, but I don't know who you could knock off that top 10 to make room. Jordan Love, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts all have good cases. Trevor Lawrence, too. I'd keep an eye on Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart -- if they take big steps in 2026, they could both be on this list in a year. Each passer has the traits to make those whippy throws on the move, but I want to see more consistency.

Rushing Ability: Unranked

All in all, Burrow got Top-10 marks in five of the seven categories entering his seventh NFL season.

A healthy 2026 should see him vault up a few of these categories next summer.

Check out the full list here.

If we take @danorlovsky7 QB rankings and build an Overall composite ranking, this is how it comes out.

He LOVES Drake Maye and has Patrick Mahomes way down there. https://t.co/iCVlP8Or8m pic.twitter.com/nfVrMmgQGn
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) August 13, 2026

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