Cincy Jungle
It’s amazing that the Bengals have a quarterback who often gets compared to legends at the position. These are, as former NFL Films president Steve Sabol once called them, “men who made the game.”
Recently, The Athletic’s Mike Sando unveiled his annual quarterbacks tiers, which are compiled with the help of 50 NFL coaches and executives.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is a unanimous Tier 1 choice for the first time in his career, and this is also his fourth consecutive season in Tier 1.
Burrow is actually tied for first, with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, in the overall rankings.
One head coach had this to say about Burrow: “He is the closest thing to Joe Montana that I have seen. That is about as big a compliment I can give you as a quarterback.”
Okay, whoa. Anytime you mention Joe Montana in the same breath as Joe Burrow, or vice versa, that pops the eyeballs.
For starters, Montana is an absolute legend at the quarterback position. With four Super Bowl titles, three Super Bowl MVPs, two NFL MVPs, three First-Team All-Pros, and eight Pro Bowls, Montana became known for his toughness and coolness under pressure.
When you watch Burrow play quarterback, he exemplifies Montana’s traits to a “T.”
Like Burrow has with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Montana had an elite wide receiver duo in Jerry Rice and Dwight Clark during the 1980s.
But as Sando points out, Montana’s 49ers led the NFL in points allowed for the entire 1980s. The Bengals defense finished 25th last season.
It’s worth noting that Burrow and Montana partnered in an advertisement for Guinness back in 2023.
