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NFL Analyst Sounds off on Steve Spagnuolo’s Statement About Bengals QB Joe Burrow
Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images

NFL Analyst Sounds off on Steve Spagnuolo’s Statement About Bengals QB Joe Burrow

Originally posted on FirstSportz  |  By Ishan Misra  |  Last updated Jul 10, 2025 9:18 AM ET

Nick Wright may be a staunch Patrick Mahomes supporter, but he has a soft spot for Joe Burrow. Wright believes the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is an elite quarterback but not the second-best signal caller, behind Mahomes.

Burrow led the league in all the major quarterback categories in 2024. He threw 460 completions (70.6% completion rate), 4981 yards, and 43 passing touchdowns. Despite the outrageous numbers, Wright does not consider the 28-year-old the second-best quarterback in the NFL.

Wright might have picked Burrow if it were 2022, but he had to revise his decision after witnessing the rise of another AFC quarterback.

During the recent segment of First Things First on FS1, the veteran sports analyst picked the reigning league MVP, Bills’ Josh Allen, as the second-best quarterback in the NFL over Burrow.

After last year, not because Burrow was excellent because he had these unbelievable numbers but more because of what how impressive I thought Josh Allen did was, for a team… that a lot of people, not me, but a lot of people thought was simply not talented enough to compete in Championship level. For him to win league MVP with the weapons around him, to what he did to get his team to the second conference game, to me that elevated [Allen] above Joe.

Nick Wright said

Wright’s statement was a direct response to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo ’s comments on Joe Burrow. After the Chiefs’ narrow 26-25 win against the Bengals in week 2, Spagnuolo walked up to Burrow and told him that he was the best NFL quarterback besides Patrick Mahomes.

Hey, other than our guy, you’re the best in the business [and] I’m not saying that because you’re standing here.

Steve Spagnuolo said, as shown on the second season of Netflix’s Quarterback

Burrow had to settle for the NFL Comeback of the Year title for his performance in 2024. It was the second time he had bagged the accolade following a 2021 Super Bowl run in which the Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the final.

Steve Spagnuolo has always been a big admirer of Joe Burrow

The Bengals had to go through the Chiefs during their championship run in 2021. Mahomes gave the Chiefs a 21-point lead, while Spagnuolo’s brilliance limited the AFC North franchise to just three points until Burrow threw two touchdowns to level the scores, and an Evan McPherson field goal sent them into the Super Bowl.

These two teams drew with each other once again the following season. Before the fixture, Spagnuolo spoke highly about Burrow to the media.

[Joe Burrow is] elite… It’s hard to compare a quarterback to the best there ever was, but he (Burrow) certainly looks like he’s on his way to that. We’ve got so much respect for this quarterback and what he does.

Spagnuolo said via KSHB 4

The Bengals lost the game, and they haven’t been to the playoffs since. Burrow’s 2023 ended quickly after suffering a wrist injury, and in 2024, the Bengals’ defense gave up an average of 348.5 yards per game and a total of 53 touchdowns.

General manager Duke Tobin extended the contracts of the receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to secure the offense. However, star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson is holding out for a new contract.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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