This year’s Heisman Trophy winner could soon become another face of the AFC. Joe Burrow has the opportunity to join some elite company next season.
To say LSU quarterback Joe Burrow had a good 2019 season would be doing him a gigantic disservice. After a campaign for the ages, the senior signal-caller could soon join some young studs in the AFC.
Winning the Heisman Trophy and the National Championship in the same season, Burrow put together arguably the greatest season in the history of college football. The NCAA record-holder for touchdowns in a season is projected by nearly everyone to go No. 1 in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, a pick currently held by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati, 2-14 in 2019, has finished with a losing record for four straight years. The offense sputtered under first-year head coach Zac Taylor, partially due to myriad injuries. Despite that, the organization has the opportunity to move on from longtime quarterback Andy Dalton — and is likely to do so this offseason. That opens the door for a probable union with Burrow.
It’s hard to find any glaring weaknesses in Burrow’s overall game. On the field, he’s terrific. He can make any throw, puts good touch and/or velocity on the ball, excels at extending plays and just threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns.
Burrow also has the confidence, charisma and magnetism necessary to be the face of an NFL franchise. Teammates love playing with him and naturally follow his lead. Burrow is the complete package.
Should the Bengals do what’s expected of them in drafting Burrow, he’d be joining some elite company in the AFC. Within the division, Baltimore Ravens phenom and likely NFL MVP Lamar Jackson would become an instant rival. Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson led his team to the Divisional Round of the playoffs and has a bevy of amazing traits. Last season’s MVP, Patrick Mahomes, is the new face of the league and one step away from the Super Bowl.
In short, Jackson, Mahomes and Watson have next (and now).
Each of these players is unique. Jackson is the second coming of Mike Vick, one of the most dangerous running threats the game has ever seen. His passing ability is on the upswing, too. Watson is a proven winner who flat-out plays football at a high level. Mahomes and Andy Reid have formed one of the most dynamic duos in recent NFL history. The former Texas Tech standout’s ability to excel both inside and outside of the pocket is similar to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers — but even better.
The AFC is changing. Longtime staples like Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers are succumbing to Father Time and may not be in the picture for much longer.
A youth movement has arrived to take the conference by storm.
As for Burrow, of course there’s work to do before joining elite company. The point is he has the tools to get there. After a ho-hum 2018 season, he came back so much better this season at LSU and looks every bit like a great NFL quarterback.
Cincinnati has some talent on offense, with A.J. Green being the x-factor should he return. Joe Mixon, John Ross and Tyler Boyd are a solid stable of weapons, but it’s a far cry from what Burrow had this season at LSU. An embarrassment of riches is sure to make a great quarterback look like an all-time great one, but that shouldn’t be held against him.
In a few months, Taylor will have his “guy” for the next 10-15 years in Burrow. At that same moment, Burrow will potentially be added to an ever-growing list of elite field generals. As the old saying goes, the rich get richer — and that couldn’t ring truer for the AFC’s crop of talented young quarterbacks.