How Joe Burrow is already being treated as a veteran QB by the Cincinnati Bengals
By Zach Ragan
Former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow is already getting veteran treatment in the NFL.
Former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow is going to be a rookie in the NFL in 2020, but he isn’t being treated like a first-year player this offseason.
Burrow, who was the first overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft after a standout senior season in Baton Rouge, is already being treated by the Cincinnati Bengals like he’s a veteran quarterback.
I’m not totally surprised by this. Burrow is remarkably mature. And he is incredibly focused. He just wants to get to work in Cincinnati and win.
How Joe Burrow is being treated as a veteran
This has been a weird offseason for everyone in the NFL, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic that’s gripped the sports world since March. But for a team like the Bengals that are hoping to get a rookie quarterback ready for the NFL, it’s been especially weird.
Burrow is going to be Cincinnati’s starting quarterback in week one. The offense will be his to run.
As a result, the Bengals have geared their entire offseason program toward Burrow and what works for him.
And that includes the playbook.
Burrow essentially helped the Bengals build the playbook for the 2020 season.
“We looked at (LSU tape) with him (Burrow) and he was able to share his thoughts about what he really liked and wanted to continue doing,” said quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher to The Athletic this week.
Pitcher added “He and Brian (Callahan, the Bengals’ offensive coordinator) would talk about it, say, ‘We very easily can incorporate these because we already do something similar. Maybe these are new but worthwhile. These couple can go on the back burner.’ It was a natural process that takes place.”
This isn’t common for a rookie quarterback.
In fact, it’s not always common for a veteran quarterback.
A year ago, we were receiving stories about the disconnect between Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his new head coach, Matt LaFleuer.
Several stories focused on a perceived rift between Rodgers and LeFleur over the usage of audibles in Green Bay’s offense.
The duo eventually ironed things out on their way to a 13-3 season (until the 2020 NFL Draft at least, but that’s another story). But the story just shows that what Burrow is experiencing in Cincinnati isn’t normal.
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The Bengals clearly understand what they have in Burrow. And they’re not going to complicate a marriage that could end up being remarkably fruitful for both parties.