Bengals' Joe Burrow receives bold Tom Brady comparison amid NFL top-10 QB poll

Bengals’ Joe Burrow receives bold Tom Brady comparison amid NFL top-10 QB poll originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Cincinnati Bengals may not have had success in recent seasons, but there is plenty of optimism heading into the 2026 NFL season, thanks to the offseason’s efforts to revamp the defense.

Now, the Bengals look to have a legitimate chance to contend. The only thing they need is for Joe Burrow to stay healthy. If he does, not only could he help lead a deep playoff run, but he could climb the quarterback rankings.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared the results of a poll of NFL coaches, executives, and scouts, which has Burrow as the No. 4-ranked QB in the league. A huge reason why he received such a ranking despite his injury issues is his lofty Tom Brady comparison.

Joe Burrow compared to Tom Brady amid top-10 ranking

“Burrow’s durability concerns pushed him out of the top three, where he resided the past two seasons,” Fowler writes. Several votes took him out of the top five due to his 16 games missed since 2023. When it comes to pure quarterback play, though, Burrow is still considered the closest resemblance to Brady’s game.”

The Bengals quarterback was just called the closest thing to Tom Brady, maybe the best quarterback of all-time in NFL history, in today’s game.

That’s some very high praise. And the praise doesn’t stop there for Burrow amid this No. 4 overall ranking by the NFL.

One NFL personnel evaluator said that Burrow has the “best pocket movement in the league, accelerated vision in the league.”

MORE: Bengals’ new DT Dexter Lawrence ranked as No. 7 DT in NFL in ESPN poll

But another quote from an NFL coordinator highlighted just how good Burrow is: “Burrow doesn’t play in a system. He is the system. He’s the whole thing.”

While Burrow might not have the dual-threat ability like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, and even Patrick Mahomes have, his passing ability and decision-making have him as one of the best QBs in the NFL.

Brady wasn’t a runner during his NFL career, but he was such a good passer, able to read a defense as well as anyone, that he was able to carve out one of the best NFL and professional sports careers of all time.

Burrow isn’t just being compared to Brady, but he’s been given the label as the closest thing to Brady still playing in the NFL. That’s some lofty praise, and is why he’s ranked as the fourth-best QB in the league even amid his injury issues.

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