Ever since getting drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Joe Burrow has cemented himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The LSU legend is a two-time Pro-Bowler and has led the NFL in several major statistical categories including completion percentage (2021), passing touchdowns (2024), and passing yards (2024).
Burrow entered the 2025 season with high hopes after putting together his best season as a pro in 2024. Last season, he completed 70.6 percent of his passes for a league-leading 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. According to NFL Research, Burrow's 2024 performance made him the third QB in NFL history to have at least 4,500 passing yards, 40 passing TDs, and less than 10 INTs. The previous two QBs to accomplish that feat were Tom Brady (2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2011). After such a dominant campaign, Burrow was among the preseason favorites to win the NFL MVP Award in 2025.
But unfortunately, Burrow is battling yet another significant injury. This time it's turf toe, and Burrow is expected to miss three months after undergoing surgery. Injuries have been a common theme for the 2019 National Champion throughout his NFL career, and the Bengals' lack of offensive line help continues to cost Burrow in a major way.
The Bengals' offensive line struggles are costing Joe Burrow his career
Burrow has never been the beneficiary of a strong offensive line in Cincinnati. In fact, Cincinnati's offensive line has been among the worst in the NFL since 2020. Year-after-year, the Bengals continue to rank near the bottom of the NFL in pass protection ranks. More specifically, per ESPN Research, Cincinnati has not ranked better than 27th in pass protection since Burrow took over as QB1 in 2020.
Bengals pass pro ranks since drafting Joe Burrow (pass block win rate, per ESPN research):
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 15, 2025
🏈2020 (29th)⁰🏈2021 (30th)⁰🏈2022 (30th)⁰🏈2023 (27th)⁰🏈2024 (32nd)⁰🏈2025 (28th)
Burrow has not played behind an offensive line that didn't rank in the bottom quartile. pic.twitter.com/X7BgGllrCD
Burrow has been under constant duress in Cincinnati. Since his debut in Week 1 of the 2020 season, only Russell Wilson (218) has been sacked more times than Burrow (201). Per StatMuse, Burrow has been sacked 2.83 times per game in his career, which ranks as the ninth-most in NFL history among QBs with at least 50 games played.
The Bengals have failed to construct a strong offensive line through both the draft and free agency. In six drafts since 2020, the Bengals have selected nine offensive linemen, with just one (Amarius Mims in 2024) being selected in the first round. Mims was rated by PFF as the No. 65 offensive tackle out of 81 qualifiers in 2024. All of Cincinnati's offensive line draft picks before 2024 are no longer with the team (Jackson Carman, D'Ante Smith, Trey Hill, and Cordell Volson).
In the free agent market, the Bengals signed former Kansas City Chief Orlando Brown Jr. to a 4-year, $64 million contract in 2023. But it hasn't worked out. Out of 81 qualifiers, Brown ranked as PFF's 45th-best tackle in 2023 and ranked 66th in 2024. He's already been responsible for two sacks this season.
Cincinnati's lack of offensive line protection for Burrow has been a glaring issue for several seasons now, but nothing the Bengals have tried has worked. Despite the lack of offensive line support, the Cincinnati offense has been among the best in football when Burrow is healthy. Burrow led the Bengals to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022, which included an appearance in Super Bowl LVI.
His turf toe injury is just the latest significant injury for Burrow in his NFL career. In his rookie season, Burrow tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, and meniscus in Week 11, and missed the rest of the season. He dislocated his pinky in 2021 and suffered an MCL sprain in 2022. In Week 11 of the 2023 season, Burrow tore a ligament in his right wrist and would miss the rest of the season.
Burrow has been resilient in his career, battling back after each significant injury. For his efforts, he was named AP Comeback Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2024. But this is not a sustainable path. Burrow needs the Bengals to put together a strong offensive line in front of him in order to stop wasting his talent.