The return of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will be heavily awaited in the coming weeks. Burrow's upcoming fourth year in the league is the first in which heavy expectations are weighing on the Bengals from a national perspective.

Burrow has more to do with that than any other individual inside Paycor Stadium. The past two seasons have been enough for the NFL's top general managers, head coaches, coordinators, and other league insiders to make an almost unanimous Tier 1 quarterback, according to Mike Sando of The Athletic. 

Almost is the key word there. Burrow received a single Tier 2 vote from an anonymous team executive, and the rationale is quite interesting.

The exec cited that Burrow just misses out on his personal Tier 1 because of how many hits he takes, and that when he takes on contact, he isn't the best at brushing it off. 

“Joe is going to hang onto it til the very last second, which is one of his great qualities, but sometimes you have to know when to say when," the exec told Sando. "He hangs in there in the teeth of the rush, but then when you get a hand on him, he is not real strong. He is not bouncing off people, he’s not pulling away from sacks like some of these other guys.”

While Burrow didn't receive Tier 1 status from the exec, only two QBs did. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen got the exclusive nod because unlike Burrow and his sack-taking ways, they apparently don't have holes in their respective games.

"Burrow’s lone Tier 2 vote came from an executive who listed only two top-tier quarterbacks on his ballot: Mahomes and Allen. This exec cited the “no real holes in his game” verbiage of the Tier 1 definition in asserting that the sacks Burrow takes are a hole in his game." – The Athletic's Mike Sando 

Compared to Mahomes and Allen, sacks taken are definitely a bullet point against Burrow. But we've also discovered the drastic differences in how much pressure Burrow has had to deal with, and almost none of it is brought on by him. Sacks can normally be placed primarily on a quarterback holding the ball too long, but Burrow has one of the quickest time to throw averages in the league. 

So is it right to knock him down a peg because of things he can't control?

What Burrow can control is his elusiveness in the pocket, which also has gone over the head of the executive, who claims he's not "pulling away from sacks" like the other elites at the position. 

This highlight from last season is one of many that stands in the way of that statement being true.

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Lastly, it's perfectly fine to recognize flaws in Burrow's game. There are some sacks that he takes in the name of holding out for a big play. He doesn't have the best arm in the league. He can scoot, but there are others who can scoot faster.

But the idea that Mahomes and Allen are both flawless in comparison, like the exec alluded to with his Tier 1 logic, is unfounded.

Mahomes, who was the lone unanimous Tier 1 QB, is the clear-cut best at his position, but he invites a higher rate of pressure on him compared to Burrow. He was responsible for 21.2% of pressures the Chiefs faced last season, per Pro Football Focus. Burrow was charged with 6% of the Bengals' pressures.

Then there's Allen, who not only invites pressures at a higher rate as well (18.8%), but is also prone to making bad decisions more frequently. 4.2% of his throws last year were considered turnover worthy, per PFF. Burrow's percentage was half of that at 2.1%. 

Sacks are bad, but aren't interceptions and putting the ball in harm's way equally bad, if not worse?

It's not hard to decipher why Mahomes and Allen get the benefit of the doubt in these cases. Their physical superiority compared to nearly everyone else at the position grants them more leeway to be reckless at times. Execs and coaches are more inclined to take them in a fantasy scenario because of their tools that can't be taught. 

Burrow doesn't get this luxury, and he likely never will. But how much he's already accomplished despite his more ordinary physical attributes should be more than enough to place him unanimously with his elite peers.

All three quarterbacks are worthy of Tier 1 status, regardless of their flaws, and the other 49 personnel members agree. 

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Featured image via © Kareem Elgazzar/The Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODAY Sports