During a recent episode of his "Let's Go!" podcast, Tom Brady spoke highly of Cincinnati Bengals second-year quarterback Joe Burrow, who's unexpectedly led the once-rebuilding team to its first Super Bowl since 1988. Brady believes that Burrow has tools he didn't have at the age of 25, and he's also impressed by Burrow's fortitude and grit in the pocket.
Drawing comparisons between Burrow and Brady -- the greatest quarterback of all-time -- is somewhat of a futile exercise. But, in his short career, Burrow has exemplified a true franchise leader, and his innate confidence and mettle shouldn't be overlooked by teams. These traits also explain why he has a fan in Boomer Esiason, who led the Bengals to Super Bowl 23.
"After their win against Tennessee, I referred to him as having Brady calmness in the pocket. People were misinterpreting what I was saying. I wasn't saying he is Tom Brady. He's got 20 years to go to get there," Esiason told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Thursday. "But there's something about him, when you meet him and know how dedicated he is to what he's doing... he got sacked nine times that game. Never panicked, never threw the ball away.
"Never did something stupid -- realized how precious that ball is. So, he has Brady calm in the pocket. When you watch him give an interview, you also see a really confident guy... He's got supreme confidence in himself, and he's not afraid to let it be heard on the sideline with teammates. With the microphones on the sideline, I've seen some situations where he basically takes control. And I love that. That's what I want my quarterback to be..."
In the Bengals' upset win over the Titans in the AFC divisional-round, Burrow was sacked nine times, which tied an NFL playoff record. But he still found a way to throw 348 yards, and according to Stathead, the yardage is the fourth-most by an NFL quarterback sacked nine times in a game. NextGenStats also revealed that Burrow completed 25 of 31 passes for 325 yards when he didn't face pressure in the pocket.
Cincinnati brought its good fortune to the AFC title game, as they overcame an 18-point deficit to upset the Kansas City Chiefs. Burrow orchestrated four scoring drives in the final 29 minutes of action, and finished with 250 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Although Burrow was pressured 16 times in the pocket, he was only sacked once.
Super Bowl 56 between Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Rams will take place on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 ET. According to projections from FiveThirtyEight, the Bengals have been given a 32-percent chance to win. During the preseason, their odds were lower than a 1-percent.
The entire conversation between Esiason and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.