4. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
Maybe the coolest customer on the list, Burrow was able to lift the Bengals to their first Super Bowl since 1988 this past season. And his play throughout the regular season was a lot of what got them there.
In the process of winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner set new franchise records with 36 TD passes and 4,611 passing yards. Burrow also led the league in completion rate (70.4%) and yards per attempt (8.9), and only trailed Aaron Rodgers in passer rating (108.3), as he elevated Cincinnati to its first playoff berth since 2015.
There were so many shining moments, like defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17, or both games against Baltimore, particularly the last, though, where he went for another franchise record with 525 passing yards. And although his numbers weren’t as eye-popping during the playoffs (5 TD passes, 2 INTs, 97.0 passer rating, 68.3% completion rate, 276.3 passing yards per game), Burrow’s leadership, accuracy, and slipperiness were on display all throughout.
And that accuracy is really no joke. After leading the league in both on-target throws rate (82.8%) and poor-throws rate (10.7%), Burrow is showing to be one of the most accurate passers the league has ever seen. As long as he has Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon, and his LSU buddy Ja’Marr Chase, there’s no telling what future seasons will look like for Joe Brrr.
Now the elephant in the room of course is Burrow’s propensity to take sacks (70 sacks in 2021, including the postseason). But Cincy has addressed some of the issues with the additions of La’el Collins, Ted Karras, and Alex Cappa on the line.
As long as Burrow is upright, the Bengals have a chance. And now that he’s entering year three, it’ll be fascinating to see how the team handles its roster construction as Burrow is likely to get a contract extension following the 2022 season.