LSU Football: Joe Burrow compared to future Hall of Fame QB

The expectations for former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow are at an all-time high.

I can’t imagine the pressure that former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow is feeling as he embarks on his NFL career.

Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft (by the Cincinnati Bengals), has received an inordinate amount of praise during the offseason, despite never playing a down in the NFL.

The former LSU standout has been labeled as a “can’t miss” prospect by a litany of draft analysts. And he’s been compared to some of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.

The latest comparison, however, doesn’t leave Burrow much room for error in his career. In fact, it’s going to be nearly impossible for him to live up to the ridiculous hype (will anything he accomplish in the NFL, short of becoming a perennial MVP, be good enough?).

Is Joe Burrow the next Peyton Manning?

Peyton Manning is going to be a member of the Hall of Fame in the very near future (he’s eligible in 2021).

The New Orleans native had an outstanding NFL career that included two Super Bowl wins (with two different franchises), 14 Pro-Bowl appearances, and five league MVP awards.

And this week, Burrow was compared to Manning.

“There’s really not a weakness to his game. He looks like his ceiling could be Peyton Manning,” explained NBC sports analyst Chris Simms when discussing Burrow.

“He’s that type of guy as far as being able to process information, his accuracy, his ability to look at one side of the field and flip to the other and read and react in a proper manner,” added Simms.

(Simms spent seven years in the NFL, so it’s not like this comparison is coming from a random talking head.)

That has to be overwhelming for a rookie quarterback to hear. Imposter syndrome is a very real thing, and I can’t imagine it doesn’t come into play for rookie quarterbacks at some point during their first year or two in the NFL.

Well, maybe most rookie quarterbacks.

If anyone can handle that type of comparison, it’s Burrow. His desire to be the best and bring out the best in everyone around him is something I’ve only seen in quarterbacks like Manning and Tom Brady. It’s what sets those guys apart from the rest of the NFL.

And it’s the reason that Burrow has the potential to be one of the all-time greats in the NFL.