Joe Burrow had an outstanding individual 2024 season for the Cincinnati Bengals, posting a 70.6 completion percentage, 4,918 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. However, this production wasn’t enough for the Bengals to reach the playoffs.
Furthermore, Cincinnati have failed to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, putting pressure on this team to reach the postseason. Burrow and his top two targets, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, are locked up for the foreseeable future.
If the Bengals miss the playoffs for a third straight year, Burrow is sure to face criticism. ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark commented on whether another postseason without Cincinnati should lead to questions about whether the 28-year-old is still an elite quarterback.
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“Joe Burrow takes none of the blame for the Cincinnati Bengals not making it to the playoffs,” Clark said on Tuesday’s edition of “First Take.”
“Let’s just think about the seasons Joe Burrow has actually finished. In two of those seasons, you go to the AFC Championships, and one of those seasons, you advance. And then you look at last year, and he’s the best quarterback in the world. And it’s not a conversation.”
“Joe Burrow takes none of the blame for the Cincinnati Bengals not making it to the playoffs.”
—@Realrclark25 on whether Burrow is still elite if the Bengals miss the playoffs again ✍️ pic.twitter.com/Zi0e7FiTlS
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 29, 2025
Clark still backs Burrow as one of the game’s elite, even without a playoff run the last two seasons. The former NFL player points out that the Bengals have to cut down on the crushing losses, like the one against the New England Patriots last season, and limit fouls in key moments that have cost them games, such as the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Nonetheless, Clark states that none of those mishaps are on Burrow.
“There’s a drop in the corner in Game 1,” Clark added. “There’s a fumble going across the line against the New England Patriots. Burrow did fumble against Kansas City, but on fourth down, you get a pass interference that gives Kansas City the ball back to go win the game.
“You can see what happened in the first two games. And so, do they have to fix that? Yes. But none of these problems are Joe Burrow. If they got 99 problems, Joe Burrow ain’t one.”
It will be interesting to see if Burrow and the Bengals can snap the two-season playoff drought, or else questions of the player’s status among the top quarterbacks will get louder.
