It may be a lofty goal, but it's not out of the realm of possibility for one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
While fans of the Cincinnati Bengals were left disappointed yet again, 2026 will be the most important season in recent history for the franchise. After missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, this will surely be the last year of experimentation with this Bengals core.
One thing that Bengals fans can continue to count on, though, is stellar play from superstar quarterback Joe Burrow. The former No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft has proven to belong in the conversation for the best quarterback in the NFL. After missing nine games due to turf toe this season, Burrow was still able to throw 15 touchdowns in the final six games of the season, trailing just Trevor Lawrence (16) and Matthew Stafford (17) during that stretch (via StatMuse).
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
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Looking forward to next season, Burrow has the opportunity to establish himself as a franchise leader with a career year.
The former LSU Tiger currently sits in fourth place in the Bengals' career pass touchdown leaders with 157. Andy Dalton sits in first place with 204, so Burrow would need to achieve 47 touchdowns in 2026 to tie the Cincinnati record.
47 touchdowns in a season is definitely not guaranteed, even if Burrow is healthy for all 17 games. In 2024, he threw 43 touchdowns, marking a new career-high and the most by any quarterback that season, so it is not completely out of reach. However, a quarterback has only thrown for at least 47 touchdowns in a single season six times in NFL history (via StatMuse).
Whether Burrow has a career-year next season or not, it seems evident that he will eventually break the record, assuming he stays healthy. Although his comments late in the season sparked trade rumors or possibly retiring early, Burrow clarified that he is happy with the Bengals and just wants to win. With this being said, he is under contract for four more seasons, so it would take a dramatic drop off or injury history for him to fail to achieve 47 touchdowns over four years.
With the continued rise of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and now Chase Brown as well, the options are limitless for Burrow. The trio combined for 15 total touchdowns in the final five weeks, including Brown accounting for eight. Chase fell short of his career-high for receptions in a season by just two, with one less game played (125), and Higgins set a new career-high for touchdowns in a season with 11.