How Joe Burrow is different than other rookie quarterbacks in the NFL
By Zach Ragan
Former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow continues to impress as a rookie in the NFL.
Former LSU football quarterback Joe Burrow is on the verge of being the most hyped rookie of all time.
For most players, this amount of hype would be a bad thing. It’s typically impossible to live up to these types of expectations. And those expectations can cripple a player.
But for Burrow, it’s no big deal. That’s because Burrow is always fighting for his spot. He may have unreal confidence, but he never takes anything for granted.
“He has the same mentality as he was as a third-string backup at Ohio State as a freshman, still fighting every day to get on the field and get his name known,” said Bengals teammate Sam Hubbard recently (via ESPN).
That kind of approach is why Burrow is already impressing nearly everyone in Cincinnati.
Joe Burrow isn’t like other young quarterbacks
We’ve seen plenty of highly-touted rookie quarterbacks that enter the NFL with high expectations but still take some time to develop.
That’s because the NFL moves faster. The reads have to be made quicker. Defenders are in your face sooner.
But none of that has seemed to bother Burrow so far during training camp. And it’s something that his new teammates are noticing.
“A lot of young quarterbacks, they look at that first progression and if it’s not there, they still throw it. They force balls,” said Bengals safety Jessie Bates (via ESPN). “Joe, he’s going from the first read to the last read and hitting the backside dig in practice. It’s been pretty impressive.”
Cincinnati offensive coordinator Brian Callahan echoed those sentiments recently.
“We haven’t pulled back one bit and he’s handled everything we’ve thrown at him. It’s been really encouraging and exciting in that regard.”
Next. The area where LSU is better than last season. dark
I’ve never been so sure that a rookie was going to be a star as I am with Burrow. He’s a can’t miss player and I wouldn’t rule him out reaching the Pro-Bowl this season.
Bold?
Maybe. But that’s just how good Burrow has proved to be.