Joe Burrow Continues to Bolster MVP Case

The Cincinnati Bengals have found their footing in the AFC North, and Joe Burrow is a big reason why. Through six games, he has put together a season that deserves serious consideration for the NFL MVP award, and his production shows no signs of slowing down.

Burrow has been in this position before. In 2024, he led the NFL with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns, both Bengals single-season records, while completing 70.6% of his passes. However, he finished fourth in MVP voting without a first-place vote because Cincinnati went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. 

This season, he is playing at that same level.

Burrow leads the NFL with a 71.7% completion rate, completing 157 of 219 passes for 1,653 yards, adding 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His 110.4 passer rating ranks second among qualified quarterbacks, and his 275.5 passing yards per game rank fifth. Pro Football Focus also has him first in the league in passing grade at 89.5. On the road, he has thrown 13 touchdowns without an interception, and in the red zone, he has 11 touchdowns against one interception.

His best performances this season have come away from Paycor Stadium. In Week 5 at Miami, Burrow threw four touchdowns with no turnovers in a 31-24 win. He followed that with the biggest game of his season in Week 7 at Baltimore, going 22 of 30 for 292 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-13 victory, joining Matthew Stafford as one of two quarterbacks with back-to-back games with four touchdowns and zero interceptions over the last five years. 

The most impressive part of last Sunday’s contest was that nearly all of the production came after halftime. Down 13-0, Burrow went 16 of 18 for 249 yards and four touchdowns in the second half, finishing with a perfect passer rating. He has now thrown eight touchdowns and no interceptions over his last two games.

However, Burrow is not the only quarterback making a case. Josh Allen is the current favorite, leads the NFL with 8.8 yards per attempt and has eight rushing touchdowns on top of his passing statistics. Jared Goff leads the league in passing yards per game (298.0) and passer rating (112.5), while Brock Purdy has matched Burrow's 15 touchdowns and carries a higher ESPN QBR (79.6 to 77.2).

It is important to note that Burrow has played one fewer game than most of his competition at this point in the season. At his current pace, he is on track for roughly 4,680 yards and 42 touchdowns over 17 games, which would rival his record-setting 2024 season.

If Burrow continues to play at this level, the Bengals will have a legitimate MVP candidate leading their offense. Now, he has an opportunity to turn this strong start into a defining season, beginning with this week's home game against the 1-6 Tennessee Titans.