Anonymous NFL scout's bold Joe Burrow take sounds very familiar to a former QB's past proclamation

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 11:50 AM ET

If there were other quarterbacks who had a better 2024 season than Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, the list is not very long.

According to over 70 anonymous executives, coaches, and scouts from around the NFL, Burrow is the third-best QB entering the 2025 season. Only Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen were ahead of him ESPN's top 10 rankings as gathered by Jeremy Fowler.

But there are indeed people from around the league that have Burrow over everyone playing the position.

Burrow was ranked as high as first and as low as fifth in this year's rankings. He was second last year despite missing a good chunk of 2023 with his wrist injury. One scout from an AFC club proclaimed him the best in the game.

If we're talking about playing the quarterback position, nobody is playing it better than him. Footwork, ball placement, the mental game at the line of scrimmage, feel for the pocket, eye level, finding creases to step up and throw — he's the best right now. And he's more mobile than he gets credit for. — veteran AFC scout on Burrow

This is often a talking point for Burrow and how he compares to the other elites in the AFC. Mahomes and Allen are widely regarded for their arm talent and mobility, but Burrow's praise derives from the more traditional ways of winning at the position.

ESPN analyst and former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky had a similar take back in 2023 following the Bengals' playoff win over the Buffalo Bills.

“Joe Burrow’s the best QB in the NFL," Orlovsky said. "Now, Chiefs fans, Patrick (Mahomes) is the best player. Patrick’s the most talented QB to ever step foot on an NFL field. But when it comes to quarterbacking and when it comes to understanding defenses and play calls . . . Joe’s the best. He’s the best going right now when it comes to all things we can write down about what it takes to play QB at a high level, he does it all exceptionally well.”

Orlovsky gave Burrow that praise over two years ago, and Burrow has somehow gotten better. He led all QBs with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns through the air last year, and the volume needed to be that high just for Cincinnati to win nine games,

I get the guy has two elite wideouts, but their run game was average and the offensive line was not very good either. On top of all that, their defense was porous and he kept them in every single game for the most part. I thought it may have been his best year, but it didn't get the same pub because of the other high-profile teams. — AFC executive on Burrow

This is the QB the Bengals envisioned when drafting Burrow first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Whether he's first on your list or not even top five, he's got everything the team needs to win a Super Bowl. It's all about ensuring the other 52 players are up to snuff.

Because to some, nobody is playing the position better than him.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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