While he has been in reach of both, Burrow has yet to achieve the accolades that will forever immortalize him in the sport. After missing another nine games, his health may be the only thing limiting him from achieving his goals.
After a disappointing season, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to head into the new year on a high note with a three-game winning streak. Burrow, who missed nine games due to turf toe earlier in the season, has been playing some of his best football in the last two weeks, supplying 614 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions.
This season has truly become quite the “what if” for a healthy Burrow. Since returning from injury in Week 13, the former No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft ranks tied for first in touchdowns and third in pff grade among quarterbacks (via PFF).
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
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When asked what he feels he needs to accomplish to be established as the best of the best, Burrow had no hesitation in his answer.
“Obviously, you want to win a Super Bowl, you want to win MVP,” said Burrow. “You want to be in the playoffs every year, but my goals at this point are just going out and playing as good as I can and continuing to improve, finding ways to continue to be great and continue to find self-improvement.”
Although he has yet to achieve his immediate goals, he has been within reach of both. Burrow led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2021, where they ultimately fell to Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams, and he was an MVP finalist in 2022 and 2024. Self-improvement is always important, but Burrow has shown year in and year out that he belongs in the conversation for best quarterback in the league. His consistent issue has been his durability, as he has missed 24 games in his six-year career.
Officially eliminated from playoff contention, Burrow and the Bengals have one more game to win before officially shifting focus towards next season. The Week 18 interdivisional matchup with the Cleveland Browns has no stakes, other than draft positioning, but that doesn’t mean the game isn’t worth watching.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is just one sack away from setting the NFL record for sacks in a season. The current record is 22.5, held by Michael Strahan in 2001 with the New York Giants and T.J. Watt in 2021 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After failing to record a sack last week against the Steelers in Week 17, he has just one game to record his name in the history books.