Joe Burrow was the number one pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft from the LSU Tigers . He has some great years with the franchise and some other years he has had injury issues. During the 2021-2022 NFL season, Burrow helped lead the Bengals franchise to a Super Bowl appearance against the Los Angeles Rams . Cincinnati lost that matchup. The following year, they got back to the AFC Championship Game and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs .
Ever since then, the Bengals have missed the playoffs for the last three seasons. Burrow is 29 years old and the 2026-2027 NFL season is the year for this franchise to make the playoffs and make the playoffs. If that doesn't happen, then there is a good chance that Zac Taylor is fired as head coach. This could also mean that Burrow might request a trade. Has Burrow been the best franchise quarterback for this team over the last 20 seasons?
Jun 16, 2026; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) plays the field during minicamp at Kettering Health Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Nathan Jahnke of profootballfocus.com wrote about the Bengals top offensive and defensive players over the last 20 seasons. He listed Burrow as the best Bengals quarterback over the last 20 seasons in the NFL. Jahnke said, "The Bengals reached a Super Bowl in 2021 and followed it with an AFC Championship Game appearance the next season. Those remain the franchise's only playoff victories during the PFF era. Despite that success, surprisingly few players from those teams made this roster. Instead, much of the offense comes from the Bengals teams of the early 2010s, with all the starters playing together in 2013."
The other good quarterbacks this franchise has had over the last 20 seasons were Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton . Burrow is better than the both of them. During the 2025 NFL season, he completed 66.8% of his passes for 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions. If Burrow can stay healthy for a full season and make the playoffs, then there is a chance that he can win the MVP award. What also helps Burrow is that he has one of the best wide receiver tandems in the NFL: Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. They both were named to the Bengals all offensive team over the last 20 seasons as well.
The other wide receiver who was named to this team was A.J. Green . Green played for the Bengals from 2011-2020. This is an elite receiving core no doubt. Burrow played with all three of these players. During his career so far with Cincinnati, he has completed 68.5% of his passes for 20,810 yards, 157 touchdowns, and 51 interceptions. Burrow has not been known being a mobile quarterback. He is more of a pocket passer, however.
Jun 16, 2026; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) plays the field during minicamp at Kettering Health Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
When the 2026 NFL season concludes, Burrow is going to have three years remaining on his contract. He is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL when healthy. Burrow is currently in the middle of his five-year $275 million deal. It is possible that he is not on the Bengals after the 2029 NFL season or even before then depending on how things play out. Cincinnati needs to make the playoffs this season in order that they don't lose him elsewhere.
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