Expectations for Joe Burrow as a rookie just got higher
By Zach Ragan
Former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow is already making quite an impression in the NFL.
Former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow was the No. 1 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, which means high expectations as a rookie were always going to be a thing for the former Heisman Trophy winner.
The expectations for Burrow, however, just got a bit higher.
And it’s his own fault.
Burrow has been so impressive during early practices that expectations for the rookie signal-caller are about to go through the roof.
Teammates are extremely impressed by Joe Burrow
Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard, who was teammates with Burrow during his time at Ohio State, couldn’t stop gushing over the former LSU standout this week.
“I think everyone’s been impressed with how he communicates, how he understands the offense. Because when the [first-team] offense goes out there, it’s a challenge. They’re running on all cylinders. That’s not something you’d expect to see with a rookie quarterback,” said Hubbard (via SI.com’s James Rapien).
It’s not a surprise to hear those comments from Hubbard. We’ve been hearing all offseason how impressed various Cincinnati players have been by Burrow’s attention to detail and ability to lead.
Of course, there have never been any questions about Burrow as a leader. In fact, the only “big” question surrounding Burrow during the pre-draft process was his arm strength.
Well, don’t worry about that either — it isn’t an issue according to Rapien.
“His (Burrow) passes were crisp and accurate. He threw with touch, but there was plenty of speed behind each pass,” wrote Rapien. The Bengals beat reporter added “some were critical of Burrow’s arm strength during the pre-draft process. He had plenty of velocity on each one of his passes”.
Performing this well during camp means folks will be expecting a lot from the 23-year-old in 2020.
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Burrow is the real deal. In a world filled with draft busts, he’s a can’t miss superstar.