Joe Burrow is back in the middle of the quarterback debate, and this one has plenty of NFL fans fired up.
The Athletic’s latest “Quarterback Tiers” for the 2026 season placed the Cincinnati Bengals star in Tier 1, right alongside Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford. A panel of 50 coaches and executives helped rank every starter in the league, and Burrow still landed among the game’s top group despite missing an extended stretch last season.
One offensive coach told The Athletic, “He’s so talented at throwing the ball, and he sees it so well,” and added, “Everyone would want to have him, 10 times out of 10, no matter how much money he asked for.”
Not everyone was buying it.
Fans pushed back hard on Burrow being placed in Tier 1 while Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was listed in Tier 2. The reaction online was blunt, with one fan saying, “Joe Burrow exists in a time distorted bubble where it is perpetually the morning of February 13th, 2022.”
Another wrote, “How Burrow is ranked so high on these lists are insane to me. 3 years no playoffs after an impressive SB run and loss in the AFC ship,” while a third added, “Burrow’s reputation has exceeded his resume.” One more fan fired off, “What has Joe done that Hurts hasn’t…..credibility gone.
Stop saying what you want to be true, please….this is embarrassing,” on X.
The skepticism is tied to Cincinnati’s recent results. The Bengals have not reached the playoffs since the 2022 season, and even Burrow’s huge 2024 stat line - 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns - wasn’t enough to get them there because of a defense that came up short.
Burrow addressed that issue in January, saying, “That’s of paramount importance,” Burrow said. “You have to identify where you’re weak and figure out a way to be strong in that area.
That’s the NFL year in and year out. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.
You have to attack that period with intent to get better.”
The Bengals open their 2026 season on Sept. 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In Other News...
Bengals Rookies Are Forcing A Camp Battle Cincinnati Really Needed
Even without a first-round pick in the 2026 draft, the Bengals have managed to give training camp some real juice. Their rookie class is creating the kind of competition every coaching staff wants, with second-round edge rusher Cashius Howell, third-round cornerback Tacario Davis, fourth-round center Connor Lew, tight end Jack Endries and wide receiver Colbie Young all putting themselves into the mix for playing time. For a team that needed young depth to start showing up, that is a useful development this early.
The encouraging part for Cincinnati is that this does not look like a one-man rookie story. There are realistic paths for multiple first-year players to matter in the upcoming season, and that kind of depth can change the feel of a camp quickly. Young has been especially eye-catching early, while the battles along the line and in the secondary suggest the Bengals may have found more than just developmental pieces in this class. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Just Got A Break In A Season They Can't Waste
The Bengals have caught a small scheduling break, at least in the eyes of the betting market, and it comes at a time when every edge matters for a team trying to make the most of a difficult AFC North path. The 2026 slate is being viewed more favorably now because several opponents have drawn more pessimism from bettors, including the Browns, Dolphins and Buccaneers, which has nudged the overall projection in Cincinnatis direction.
It is not an official change to the schedule, of course, just a reflection of how the market sees those teams right now. Still, for a Bengals team that cannot afford wasted chances, the possibility of facing a softer list of opponents than expected could matter if those clubs fall short of current projections. [Read more 🡒]
Zac Taylor Sends Bengals Fans A Clear Message About 2026
Zac Taylor has spent this offseason sounding like a coach who understands both the promise and the pressure around the Bengals heading into 2026. He pointed to the work the organization has done to strengthen the roster, but he was just as quick to remind everyone that paper improvements do not win games in the AFC North.
The next step, Taylor said, comes in training camp, where talent has to be turned into consistent production by the coaches and players. Coming off last seasons disappointing record, Cincinnati has plenty of reason to believe better days are possible, but Taylors message was clear enough: the optimism only matters if the team does the work to back it up. [Read more 🡒]