How Joe Burrow is correctly navigating a very difficult path

Former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow is correctly navigating a very difficult path.

Former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow, the No. 1 pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft, is a lot of things that other players also selected in the 2020 draft are not.

He’s a tremendous leader with a resume that might be more impressive than any college football player in history.

But Burrow is still one thing that every other player in the 2020 draft is — he’s a rookie.

And navigating the waters of the NFL as a rookie can be difficult — especially for a rookie who has already been named the starting quarterback of a franchise.

A rookie quarterback is expected to be the leader of the offense, while also respecting his role as a first-year player. Not stepping on the toes of veterans can be difficult.

But not for Burrow.

Joe Burrow is excelling at being a rookie leader

As a rookie starting quarterback, it can be tough for a player to know when to speak up and when to listen. When to make suggestions, how to make suggestions and what suggestions to make are all things that a rookie starting quarterback has to figure out.

It’s understandable if it takes a rookie starting quarterback a bit to get comfortable in those situations.

Burrow, however, didn’t need any time. He’s already carrying himself like a veteran, without being a polarizing figure in the (virtual) locker room. The former LSU standout already has the respect of the veterans on the Bengals’ roster.

“I’ve been really impressed with how he’s handling this offense and handling the huddle…He’s very comfortable. It’s as if he’s been here for years,” said Cincinnati offensive lineman Jonah Williams in a recent interview with The Athletic.

Williams went even more in-depth about how Burrow has handled himself as the leader of the offense.

From The Athletic:

"“If (Burrow) wants something about the protection, if we’re seeing, ‘What are you comfortable with doing?’ or ‘What responsibilities do you want us to control as O-line and what are you more comfortable with to give you a little bit more confidence when you’re sitting back in the pocket?’ So I think that’s been great. Some guys wouldn’t want to speak up like that. They wouldn’t want to give suggestions to a bunch of veteran O-linemen. But he does it in a way that we all respect it and appreciate his input. Pretty much every time so far, he’s been right and it’s worked out well. I think it’s all great signs for how he’s going to be as a teammate.”"

It’s not really a surprise that Burrow has the respect of the Bengals’ veterans. The former Tigers signal-caller is destined to be a future league MVP. He just has that kind of make-up.

The talent is obviously there with Burrow. But it’s the ability to lead and make those around him better that truly separates him from the rest of the young quarterbacks in the NFL.