Bengals' Joe Burrow Compared to Tom Brady, Drew Brees by NFL Scout in 2023 Rankings

Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow drew high praise in a poll of the NFL's top quarterbacks conducted by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

"He takes time to appreciate because the elite athlete isn't what you see first," one scout said to Fowler. "But the more you watch him, the more you're like, Damn, he's doing the right thing every play. It's a lot like [Drew] Brees and [Tom] Brady where they start doing things so consistently every year and you're thinking, Well, maybe he really is that guy."

Burrow threw for 4,475 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2022 as the Bengals reached the AFC championship game for the second straight season.

The 26-year-old is a lot like Brady in that his true impact goes far beyond his raw numbers.

Try to describe what Burrow means to the Bengals and you're liable to fall into any number of time-worn clichés. It all boils down to how his confidence and leadership rubs off on his teammates. The 2022 Pro Bowler relishes the big stage as well.

Former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis did a lot to improve the general perception of the franchise. Cincinnati made the playoffs seven times in his 16 years on the sideline, an impressive feat when it had the same number of postseason appearances in the 36 seasons before he arrived.

Still, the Bengals' inability to actually win a playoff game meant they remained the subject of regular mockery. They never advanced past the AFC Wild Card Round with Lewis.

Now, all things are possible as long as Burrow is under center. The days of hitting a glass ceiling with Andy Dalton or Carson Palmer are over.