Joe Burrow’s 2025 season was shortened, but it did nothing to shake his standing with Pro Football Focus.
Dalton Wasserman ranked all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks this week, and Burrow landed at No. 2 overall - the same spot he held in PFF’s 2025 ranking. The only thing separating him from the top, Wasserman made clear, is health. Burrow played only eight games last season after a major turf toe injury, yet he still put together elite work in the time he had.
“A year ago, the only real knock on Joe Burrow was his health," Wasserman wrote. "Entering the 2026 season, that's still the case - because when Burrow is on the field, there's still a compelling argument that nobody plays quarterback better.
A severe turf toe injury limited him to just eight games and 259 dropbacks in 2025, but his play never slipped. Burrow earned a 91.3 PFF passing grade that ranked second among qualifying quarterbacks.”
The production behind that ranking is staggering. Burrow posted a 0.7% Turnover Worthy Play Rate in 2025, the lowest mark among quarterbacks with at least 250 dropbacks in PFF history from 2006-25. Across that span, he sits first among 688 qualifying quarterbacks.
He also owns the highest completion rate in league history at 68.5%, another reminder of how precise his game has become. Burrow has pushed his passing into historic territory; the question now is whether his body can finally keep pace with his arm.
For the moment, Burrow says the summer has gone the right way.
“I’m feeling great. I’m feeling as healthy as I’ve ever felt, which is exciting for me.
It’s been a while since I felt that way,” Burrow said in June. “A big part of that is how my body feels on a day-to-day basis.
Waking up and going to the bathroom, walking downstairs. And when my body feels good, my mind feels good."
In Other News...
Bengals May Have Found A Receiver Story Fans Didn't See Coming
The Bengals have spent the offseason looking for any edge they can find at receiver, and one of the more interesting additions came from an unexpected place. Dohnte Meyers arrived after his time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he worked through injuries and still managed to be part of a Grey Cup run, giving Cincinnati a player whose path to the NFL has already included plenty of adversity.
For a team always searching for reliable depth behind its top targets, Meyers is the kind of name worth watching once camp opens. His background suggests resilience and a willingness to keep pushing through setbacks, and that can matter as much as raw talent when a roster spot and a role are on the line. The question now is how quickly he can turn that kind of resume into something real in a crowded Bengals receiver room. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Finally Have The Interior Force This Gamble Demanded
The Bengals spent a premium draft asset to get Dexter Lawrence, and the logic behind the move is easy to see. Even with a statistical dip in 2025 while playing through an injury, Lawrence still carries the kind of reputation that keeps him near the top of leaguewide conversations among executives, coaches and scouts, and Cincinnati clearly believes he can change the feel of its defensive front.
What the Bengals are buying is not just production, but gravity. Lawrence has long been the sort of interior force offenses have to account for on every snap, the player who can occupy multiple blockers and open up space for everyone around him. ESPNs 2026 preseason survey still placed him seventh among defensive tackles, a reminder that the league has not forgotten how disruptive he can be when healthy, and now Cincinnati is betting that reputation will translate into something bigger on its own line. [Read more 🡒]
National Analyst Just Put Bengals New Safety Duo In Elite Company
The Bengals spent part of the offseason trying to stabilize a defense that has too often carried too much of the load, and the addition of Bryan Cook was one of the more direct moves in that effort. Cook arrived from Kansas City on a three-year deal after finishing his rookie contract, giving Cincinnati a proven veteran to pair with Jordan Battle as the secondary tries to take a real step forward in 2026.
Sports Illustrateds Matt Verderame took notice, slotting Cook and Battle among the leagues best safety tandems and putting Cincinnati in the same conversation as some of the NFLs most established back-end groups. Battles heavy workload and production last season already gave the Bengals a foundation, and Cooks championship background adds another layer of credibility, but the bigger question is whether the pairing can turn that recognition into the kind of defensive consistency that helps push Cincinnati back into the playoffs. [Read more 🡒]