No one questions that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.
He is three years removed from taking his upstart team to the Super Bowl and has a 27-15 record in starts since his rookie season.
However, two of Burrow’s four NFL campaigns were cut short by injury, including 2023, when he only managed ten starts.
The intrigue started early as the star suffered a strained calf in training camp and clearly struggled through the start of the season.
By the time Burrow and the Bengals righted the ship and appeared to be on another playoff march, he went down with a wrist injury and was lost for the season.
NFL analyst and former player Emmanuel Acho believes 2024 is a make-or-break season for Burrow.
Acho acknowledged that he believes Burrow is the second-best quarterback in the NFL, but he still needs to solidify that position and the belief that he is the only signal-caller who can beat Patrick Mahomes when it counts the most.
The analyst further made an interesting comparison between Burrow’s young career and that of Carson Wentz.
The latter was at one point hailed as the star of the Philadelphia Eagles before injuries took their toll and he fell off.
Year five, Acho believes, will be the test of Burrow’s ability to truly be the franchise in Cincinnati.
If he can stay healthy and the team comes together around him, the Bengals may be the best positioned club in the AFC to prevent a Chiefs three-peat.
