Even before he played a down in the NFL, Joe Burrow appeared destined for greatness.
Burrow’s star rose in college after he transferred from Ohio State to LSU, where he authored one of the greatest seasons ever by a college quarterback in 2019. The rocket-armed senior displayed his enormous potential as a passer, throwing for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns. He also gained national recognition by leading the Tigers to a national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy in a landslide.
Not surprisingly, Burrow’s incredible campaign made him the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Already a household name by the time he joined the Cincinnati Bengals, Burrow didn’t disappoint. A torn ACL and MCL prematurely ended his promising rookie season, but he recovered to lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2021 and back to the playoffs in 2022.
After just three seasons in the NFL, Burrow has already established himself as one of the best QBs of his generation. Always calm and collected in the pocket, “Joe Cool” has a knack for coming through in the clutch and never seems intimidated by the moment. He recently quipped that Cincinnati’s championship window is his “entire career.” Based on what he’s accomplished so far, there’s no reason to doubt him.
Joe Burrow 2023 MVP Odds
While the full menu of NFL futures isn’t yet available at sportsbooks for the 2023-24 season, bettors can wager who will be crowned MVP for the campaign.
Burrow opened with the second-best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook at +700, behind only reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes (+650). He’s yet to win an NFL MVP trophy, but Burrow finished fourth in 2022 and has made strides every year in the league.
In Burrow’s case, it seems like a matter of time before he wins his first MVP—as long as he stays healthy. With the Bengals poised to be one of the best teams in the league for the indefinite future, he could be in for a monster season that gets the attention of MVP voters.
Joe Burrow Contract & Salary
Burrow is already one of the best players in the NFL, but he’s not being paid like one yet. He’s heading into the final season of the four-year, $36.1 million rookie contract he signed before the 2020 season. Burrow is set to make about $9 million for the 2023-24 season.
Since top quarterbacks now make $45-50 million annually, Burrow is underpaid and due for a massive raise. Recent reports have signaled he could seek a contract extension with the Bengals that would pay him closer to his market value, which some have speculated could be as high as $55 million per year.
Burrow could go down as the best QB in franchise history, so the team will likely do whatever it takes to keep him. Retaining Burrow gives the Bengals their best shot at winning their first Super Bowl in team history.
Joe Burrow Regular Season Stats
In some respects, Burrow’s regular-season numbers have gotten better every year. There was a clear jump from his rookie season in 2020 to his sophomore campaign in 2021. His statistics remained remarkably similar from 2021 to 2022, improving in some areas but decreasing slightly in others.
Burrow played 10 games as a rookie compared to 16 games in 2021 and 2022, so his first season doesn’t stack up to the other two. He’s only improved since, especially after Cincinnati drafted his former college teammate Ja’Marr Chase in 2021. Burrow’s production spiked after reuniting with his old No. 1 receiver, who now fills that role for the Bengals.
2020 CIN Bengals (4-11-1)
Burrow’s debut season was rough for himself and his team, which is usually the case for rookie quarterbacks. Still, he held his own and proved he belonged in the NFL, convincing the Bengals he was worth building around.
Despite losing Burrow in Week 11 to a torn ACL and MCL, Cincinnati still won twice as many games (four) as the previous year. The Bengals finished last in the AFC North for the third season in a row, confirming that additional reinforcements were needed to surround Burrow. This is the only year in which he did not make the playoffs.
- QB Record: 2-7-1
- Passing Yards: 2,688
- Passing TDs: 13
- Interceptions: 5
- Completion Rate: 65.3%
- Quarterback Rating: 89.8
2021 CIN Bengals (10-7)
Burrow and the Bengals made major strides together in 2021.
Burrow returned from knee surgery and promptly vaulted Cincinnati into contention, carrying the team to its first Super Bowl appearance since 1988. While the Bengals came up short against the Los Angeles Rams in the title game, Burrow’s numbers took a quantum leap during the regular season, largely thanks to better health and the presence of Chase. He led the league in several categories—including completion rate (70.4%) and yards per pass attempt (8.9)—en route to winning Comeback Player of the Year.
- QB Record: 10-6
- Passing Yards: 4,611
- Passing TDs: 34
- Interceptions: 14
- Completion Rate: 70.4%
- Quarterback Rating: 108.3
2022 CIN Bengals (12-4)
The 2022 season was another positive one for Burrow and the Bengals, even if they didn’t return to the Super Bowl. Burrow essentially matched his 2021 production but with a few minor improvements. He cut his interception rate significantly and took fewer sacks, becoming a smarter passer and improving his pocket awareness. Burrow earned his first Pro Bowl selection and nearly steered Cincinnati to a second straight Super Bowl appearance. The Bengals lost by a field goal in the AFC Championship Game.
- QB Record: 12-4
- Passing Yards: 4,475
- Passing TDs: 35
- Interceptions: 12
- Completion Rate: 68.3%
- Quarterback Rating: 100.8
Joe Burrow Postseason Stats
Burrow has already had several memorable moments in the postseason. The Bengals made the playoffs the last two years via back-to-back division titles, advancing to the Super Bowl in 2022 and the AFC title game in 2023.
Burrow has started seven postseason games, winning five. Both of his losses came by a field goal, so with better luck, he’d be undefeated. He’s also had no trouble winning on the road, with more away playoff wins (three) than home ones (two).
On an individual level, Burrow has been solid but unspectacular in the playoffs. For instance, he only has one postseason game with more than 270 passing yards, and he has averaged only 1.3 passing touchdowns per game.
Ultimately, a quarterback is judged by wins and losses, especially in the playoffs.
2021 Playoffs (Lost Super Bowl)
Burrow’s NCAA National Championship experience came in handy as he nearly took the Bengals all the way in their first playoff run together despite getting sacked a postseason-record 19 times.
After beating the Las Vegas Raiders at home in his playoff debut, Burrow led Cincinnati to road wins over the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs to advance to the Super Bowl. The win over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game was particularly impressive, as Burrow brought the Bengals back from a 21-3 deficit to win in overtime in Arrowhead.
Cincinnati couldn’t overcome a star-studded Los Angeles Rams team in Super Bowl LVI, but Burrow kept his team in the game until the final drive and lost by only three points.
- QB Record: 3-1
- Passing Yards: 1,105
- Passing TDs: 5
- Interceptions: 2
- Completion Rate: 68.3%
2022 Playoffs (Lost AFC Championship)
Burrow and the Bengals narrowly missed a second straight Super Bowl appearance in the 2022-23 season. Their postseason began with a 24-17 home win over the Baltimore Ravens, followed by a dominant 27-10 blowout in Buffalo against the Bills. However, Kansas City got its revenge against Cincinnati in an AFC championship rematch, stopping the Bengals one game shy of the Super Bowl with some controversial help from the referees.
- QB Record: 2-1
- Passing Yards: 721
- Passing TDs: 4
- Interceptions: 2
- Completion Rate: 66.1%
Joe Burrow Super Bowl Stats
In his second season, Burrow led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl, the team’s first championship appearance in over 30 years. Unfortunately, he went up against a ferocious Rams defense that sacked him seven times and prevented him from earning a Super Bowl ring.
Super Bowl LVI (Lost 23-20)
While he didn’t quite save his best for last, Burrow performed well in his first Super Bowl at the age of 25. He completed two-thirds of his passes, threw a touchdown and didn’t turn the ball over, keeping the Bengals in the game until the end. Unfortunately for them, the Rams were the better team and came out on top, 23-20.
- Completions: 22
- Pass Attempts: 33
- Passing Yards: 263
- Passing TDs: 1
- Interceptions: 0
- Quarterback Rating: 100.9
Joe Burrow Super Bowl Prop Bets
Despite the tough matchup against Los Angeles, sportsbooks were still too bullish when setting the lines for Burrow’s Super Bowl prop bets. Getting sacked seven times didn’t help Burrow, preventing him from putting up bigger numbers. Still, it’s notable that he fell short of most of his projections, letting some Super Bowl bettors down in the process.
Here’s how Burrow performed in his biggest prop categories at FanDuel Sportsbook:
- O/U 276.5 Passing Yards: Under (263)
- O/U 1.5 Passing TDs: Under (1)
- O/U 24.5 Completions: Under (22)
- O/U 36.5 Passing Attempts: Under (33)
- O/U 39.5 Yards Longest Pass: Over (75)
- O/U 11.5 Rushing Yards: Under (3)
If Burrow does make it to the Big Game again, bettors may be better off targeting the Under for his props based on his playoff and Super Bowl track record.
