Joe Burrow has been receiving a lot of praise lately for getting the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl in just his second season in the NFL, but is he a top-five quarterback in the NFL?
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons says “no.”
Parsons, in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, was asked to give his top five quarterbacks in the league. He listed, in no particular order, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Kyler Murray and a tie between Lamar Jackson and his own QB, Dak Prescott.
The rookie was asked why Burrow does not crack his list.
“Joe’s like extremely good, but, like, some games Joe would have a day, but in some games, he’s like, not there,” Parsons said.
Parsons pointed to a Week 2 game against the Bears where Burrow threw three interceptions in a 20-17 loss.
But as he started speaking, Parsons realized he needed to be careful about giving Burrow bulletin board material for when the Bengals and Cowboys meet next year.
“I haven’t played him and I play him next year and I don’t want this to get to him and he come out here to AT&T Stadium and throw for 400 [yards] and be like, ‘he said that in an interview,’” Parsons said. “So I don’t want to say nothing crazy, but I will just say, I don’t know, I think in the playoffs he’s been tremendous.
“But there’s a few games early on — he kinda said it was about the confidence in the knee, which I believe. You kinda saw he wasn’t trying to run and things like that. I think he’s over that hump. I’m going to look for it next year. He’s a top-10 quarterback for sure and he’s climbing the ranks. But to throw him in the top five already? It’s kinda crazy.”
Burrow has been motivated by stuff like this in the past, particularly when Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said it wasn’t time to buy the Bengals quarterback a gold jacket just yet before a Week 16 matchup.
Burrow then threw four TDs and 525 yards that game.
Perhaps Parsons saved himself at the end there. We’ll just have to wait for when they meet next season to find out.
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