There are two distinct images for us with Joe Burrow in 2020.

The first is the QB leading LSU to a National Championship, which he punctuated with a celebratory stogie.

The second was in his parents’ humble home, where he was drafted #1 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Burrow felt like a special player right away, despite the cautiousness of the Bengals faithful, who have endured a lot of suffering from disappointing Quarterbacks. Burrow only won two Games as a rookie and was injured at that time with a torn ACL and PCL. This still did not make it a bust year for Burrow, who showed why he was taken number one.

Bouncing back in 2021, Burrow won the AP Comeback Player of the Year, throwing for 4,611 Yards, 34 Touchdowns, and an NFL-leading 70.4 Pass Completion Percentage. Burrow led the Bengals to their third Super Bowl appearance, and though they did not win, it was their best performance to date.

Burrow had another great year in 2022 (4,475 Yards & 35 TD), where he had a Pro Bowl and took Cincinnati to the AFC Conference Game.  The QB only appeared in 10 Games in 2023 due to injury, though he was very good when healthy.   Last season, Burrow went through agony and ecstasy as he statistically had his best season to date.  The pivot threw for an NFL-leading 4,918 Yards and 43 Touchdowns while surrendering only 9 Interceptions.  Despite this stellar performance (that earned him a second Pro Bowl and a fourth-place MVP finish), Cincinnati's defence was poor, and the Bengals went only 9-8.

Going into 2025, the Bengals have a top-five Quarterback and a man who can give them their first title, especially if he remains healthy.