Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Scout casts doubts about Joe Burrow's durability in anonymous poll

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jul 15, 2024 2:29 PM ET

One of the biggest questions heading into this upcoming season is whether Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow can stay healthy.

In his latest top 10 quarterback rankings, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler surveyed coaches, executives and scouts, who ranked Burrow No. 2. However, his injury history is starting to raise eyebrows. He tore his ACL in his rookie season and suffered a season-ending right wrist injury in 2023.

An AFC scout told Fowler Burrow is elite, but "[he] can't stay healthy."

Thus, he may struggle to carry the Bengals in 2024.

Meanwhile, a veteran NFC offensive coach dismissed the injury concerns, pointing out how Burrow is 27 and should make a quick recovery. Fowler added he's suffered no setbacks in the team's offseason program.

When healthy, Burrow is one of the most accurate passers in the league. According to Fowler, his completion percentage (68%) is the highest mark through a player's first four seasons in NFL history (min. 1,000 attempts).

Joe Burrow puts it on the money.

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— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023

He also has a winning record against Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion. According to Stathead, Burrow is 3-1 vs. Mahomes in the regular season and playoffs.

This offseason, Burrow has changed his regimen to better protect himself. Per Bengals senior writer Geoff Hobson, the star passer said he's focused on adding muscle to take more hits. He also told Complex.com's Ben Felderstein he's learning piano to help his wrist heal.

Assuming the changes work, Burrow and company should hit all the right notes on the field and contend for a title. As of Monday, Cincinnati and the Philadelphia Eagles are tied for the fifth-best Super Bowl LIX odds (+1400), per FanDuel Sportsbook. Plus, it would make the Bengals feel much better about giving Burrow a five-year, $275M deal in 2023.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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