NFL HC Says Joe Burrow 'is the Closest Thing to Joe Montana That I Have Seen'

Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow received high praise heading into the 2025 season.

"He is the closest thing to Joe Montana that I have seen," an NFL head coach told Mike Sando of The Athletic. "That is about as big a compliment I can give you as a quarterback."

The comparisons likely stem from his poise and accuracy in the pocket, as Burrow completed a career-high 70.6 percent of his throws in 2024. He also racked up a league-leading 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns compared to just nine interceptions.

Burrow, who missed the end of his 2023 campaign due to a wrist injury, earned Comeback Player of the Year honors for the second time in his career.

He was ranked within Tier 1 of all quarterbacks as the No. 2 player at his position in a poll of 50 NFL coaches and executives conducted by Sando, only trailing Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes.

"To me, it's Mahomes and then Burrow if I had to rank them," a veteran offensive coach told Sando. "Burrow could be a 1 with a red cross on him. They don't protect him, and he gets the s--t knocked out of him constantly."

Burrow was sacked 48 times last season, tied for the fourth-most in the NFL. He also took 69 quarterback hits, the second most in the league (via Pro Football Reference).

The Bengals narrowly missed the playoffs in 2024 with a 9-8 record, as offensive stars such as Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase couldn't overcome protection issues and a defense that ranked No. 26 among all teams by allowing 25.5 points per game.

As Burrow looks to lead Cincinnati back to the playoffs, he's already being compared to one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.