Joe Burrow, who may not reach the playoffs, deserves to be in MVP conversation according to ex-NFL star
Kyle Long has made surprising yet compelling argument to include Joe Burrow in the MVP conversation despite the team’s struggle.
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Kyle Long and Joe Burrow (Via Chicago Sun-Times/Imago)
Over the past two weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals have stabilized their position with two consecutive victories. However, with a 6-8 record, the playoff hopes appear grim despite quarterback Joe Burrow leading the league in passing yards. Given his individual success, former NFL star Kyle Long has made a surprising yet compelling argument to include him in the MVP conversation.
In a recent NFL episode on CBS, former football guard-turned-analyst presented arguments to display the phenomenal season the Bengals quarterback had this season despite the team’s struggle. He firmly placed Burrow in the MVP conversation, striking an interesting comparison with MVP favorite Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
“I’m gonna throw in another name into the realm [MVP race]: Joe Burrow of Cincinnati Bengals. You can call me crazy and I probably agree with you but here’s a thing: Joe Burrow has played on a historically bad football team this season. He’s had to do things at such a spectacular level just to keep the Cincinnati Bengals competitive. Right now, he’s got six straight games of 250 passing yards and 3+ touchdown passings…He’s got 36 passing touchdowns this season, Josh Allen has 37 total touchdowns this season. He also rushes the football in there and he’s the clear-cut MVP, right?
Kyle Long said
Is Joe Burrow a legit MVP candidate? 🤔@Ky1eLong breaks down why Burrow deserves to be in the conversation. pic.twitter.com/xwEA9QlW4V
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 22, 2024
Although the Bengals’ playoff prospects looking bleak, Long’s endorsement for Burrow underscores the quarterback’s standout performance this season. He might not have been able to secure a playoff spot till now, but he leads the league with 3,977 yards with 36 touchdowns, eight interceptions and 74.1 QBR.
Joe Burrow achieves 4,000-yard milestone in record time against Cleveland
The Bengals signal-caller’s backed Long’s words with the splendid first quarter against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. He became the first quarterback in the league this season to record a 4,000-yard passer in the first quarter after throwing a pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins.
After his standout performance against the Houston Texans last season, where he threw for 271 yards, Burrow only needed 23 yards to make the record this season, marking his third season in the last five years to surpass the 4,000-yard milestone.
While the pundits often argue the MVP candidacy hinges on the player’s impact on the team’s success, Burrow’s impressive season does raise the question: why is he not more frequently mentioned in the MVP race? Despite leading the league in passing yards and posting impressive stats, Burrow’s chances are overshadowed by the Bengals’ overall record.
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Pratyusha Srivastava
(2015 Articles Published)