The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the NFL’s undisputed elite quarterbacks.
The agreement over exactly how elite Joe Burrow is, however, weakened slightly after another injury-interrupted season and lack of protection.
Burrow placed fourth in Mike Sando’s annual quarterback tiers for The Athletic, which uses ballots from 50 NFL coaches and executives.
One evaluator told Sando that “it is insane how they do not protect” Burrow, using a third-and-long sack against the Cleveland Browns as an example of the offense exposing its quarterback.
Burrow stayed in Tier 1 for the fifth consecutive year, but four voters moved him into Tier 2 after he received unanimous Tier 1 support in 2025.
Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and reigning MVP Matthew Stafford occupied the first three spots.
The LSU product’s placement still leaves him among the four quarterbacks viewed as Tier 1 options, although the lost votes introduced some pondering thoughts before the 2026 season.
Burrow’s Injury History Costs Him Unanimous Support
GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 14: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals is helped off the field following an injury in the second quarter of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Sando’s panel included 21 executives and 29 coaches, with every voter placing 35 veteran quarterbacks into one of five tiers.
An averaged vote determined the final ranking.
One former general manager who placed Burrow in Tier 2 praised his “accuracy and anticipation,” then pointed to the quarterback’s uneven availability because of injuries.
The injury shtick has followed Burrow through much of his career.
He suffered a season-ending knee injury as a rookie in 2020, missed the final seven games of 2023 with a torn wrist ligament and sat out nine games last season after undergoing surgery for turf toe.
The latest injury limited Burrow to eight starts, though his production when on the field looked legitimate.
He completed 66.8% of his passes for 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions while posting a 100.7 passer rating.
Pro Football Focus also gave Burrow a 91.3 passing grade, second among qualifying quarterbacks. The outlet reported that he posted the lowest turnover-worthy play rate by any quarterback with at least 250 dropbacks since PFF began charting in 2006.
Burrow had entered the previous ranking after leading the league with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes in 2024. His unanimous status reflected those numbers, even though Cincinnati finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs.
The downgrade from four voters appears tied more to whether Burrow can play a full (or close to it) season.
Bengals’ Protection Plan Is Under the Microscope
GettyMIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 21: Zach Sieler #92 of the Miami Dolphins sacks Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter of a game at Hard Rock Stadium on December 21, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The attention has turned toward Cincinnati’s responsibility for keeping Burrow available.
Burrow was sacked 48 times during his full 2024 season.
He took another 17 sacks across eight appearances in 2025, including three before leaving the Week 2 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars with the toe injury.
Some of that total can stem from Burrow extending plays and searching for opportunities downfield.
Regardless, the frequency creates an uncomfortable equation for a franchise whose postseason glory depends heavily on his health.
The ranking also shows how difficult it will be for Burrow to move higher without adding an MVP award or Super Bowl title. Mahomes and Stafford have both.
Allen owns an MVP award, while Burrow’s best postseason run ended with a loss to Stafford’s Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
Cincinnati has spent the offseason constructing what Burrow has described as the best roster of his career.
The fourth-place ranking suggests league decision-makers already believe the quarterback can lead it deep into January.
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