Joe Burrow may put up another historic season, but without stronger team support, the Bengals’ playoff hopes remain in doubt.
Analyst warns Bengals' roster moves risk wasting Joe Burrow's prime originally appeared on The Sporting News
Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow is in his prime. Fans, analysts, players and coaches all agree on his talent. For them, he is one of the very best. But the team's overall performance has held him back from collecting the accolades, both individual and team, that his play warrants.
Many believe the organization isn't giving him the right support, and that's the sentiment analyst Louis Riddick voiced on ESPN's "Get Up" on Wednesday.
Host Mike Greenberg asked Riddick whether the Bengals are wasting Burrow's brilliance.
Riddick responded: "As measured by getting to Super Bowls and being true Super Bowl contenders? Of course they are, because we know this is a team game. And as much as we want to pin Cincinnati's shortcomings on the quarterback, on Joe Burrow, like we do with every franchise, when a team doesn't ultimately make it to the promised land and win it, we blame it on the QB."
He praised Burrow as "a top two, top three most talented thrower in the league" and highlighted that advanced metrics also support his standing among the NFL's elite. But, according to Riddick, the problem lies in the roster around him, not the quarterback.
"The organization right now is failing to build a strong 53-man roster that can compete with the elite teams," Riddick said.
The analyst is warning that Cincinnati could regret this period if it doesn't strengthen its defense and resolve contract issues with key players.
Burrow's 2024 season was among the best by an NFL quarterback. He threw for a career-high 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns with just nine interceptions.
His 43 TDs and nearly 5,000 passing yards led the league, and he became just the third QB in the league's history to post at least 4,500 yards, 40 touchdowns, and fewer than 10 interceptions in a single season.
Yet it proved all for nothing, as the Bengals missed the playoffs after a slow start and a shaky, inconsistent defense.
Category: Football
