Bengals QB Joe Burrow is the best option to snap a curse that's impacted quarterbacks for decades
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the best option in the NFL to break a curse that's afflicted quarterbacks for decades. This past weekend, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy became the latest quarterback to lose his Super Bowl debut. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts joined that list the previous season. And Burrow joined the […]
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the best option in the NFL to break a curse that's afflicted quarterbacks for decades.
This past weekend, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy became the latest quarterback to lose his Super Bowl debut. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts joined that list the previous season. And Burrow joined the list in early 2022 after Cincinnati's loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
The last 18 quarterbacks to lose their Super Bowl debut have failed to make it back to the big game (as a starter).
That's a streak that dates back to 1995.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly is the last quarterback to lose his Super Bowl debut and make it back (though he failed to get a Super Bowl ring).
Burrow is easily the best option to break this streak. And it's not just because he plays for the Bengals, a team with a Super Bowl-caliber roster.
The former LSU standout has that "it" factor that's rare in quarterbacks in the NFL. He might be the only quarterback in the league that can match Patrick Mahomes' compete level.
It was obvious during the playoffs that Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were going to win their second straight Lombardi Trophy after listening to comments from opposing quarterbacks.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said he doesn't like competing against Mahomes before playing the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
Purdy, meanwhile, told reporters before the Super Bowl that he doesn't hold a grudge for getting selected last in the 2022 NFL Draft.
I can't imagine Burrow making comments like that (especially the comment that Jackson made).
Mahomes is winning Super Bowls, in part, because of his ability to turned perceived slights into motivation. He makes it personal — which is absolutely essential to winning championships (just ask legendary former Alabama coach Nick Saban). Everyone in the NFL is good. But when the game is on the line, the elite competitors are able to dig deep, be it via a slight or some other motivation, to get the job done when it matters most.
Burrow is cut from the same cloth as Mahomes. We've seen Burrow keep receipts and use the outside noise as motivation. That's part of why he's been able to have success against Mahomes (Burrow is the only active quarterback with a win against Mahomes in the playoffs). And it's why Burrow has the best chance to break a Super Bowl curse that's stretched almost 30 years.
Prominent sports personality makes very strong statement about Bengals and Chiefs as the offseason gets underway
2024 can’t get here soon enough
