On Tuesday, ESPN dropped its annual ranking of top 10 NFL quarterbacks, which the media outlet said was voted on by league executives, coaches and scouts.
The 2024 NFL MVP, the Buffalo Bills‘ Josh Allen, tops the list. The Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Los Angeles Rams‘ Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL MVP, are ranked second and third, respectively. Behind them is the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, who is out of the top three for the first time in three years.
Burrow is ranked fourth overall, compared to third in 2025 and second in 2024. The highest ranking he received from a voter was first, while the lowest was sixth. According to ESPN, he had “durability concerns” that kept him from ranking higher, but he still has the “closest resemblance to (Tom) Brady’s game.”
One NFL personnel evaluator told ESPN that Burrow had the best pocket movement and accelerated vision in the NFL, and an NFL coordinator said that “Burrow doesn’t play in a system. He is the system.” Another coordinator praised his decision-making speed.
Worries about Burrow’s durability have merit; he played just eight regular-season games in 2025 after suffering a Week 2 toe injury that required surgery. He missed a portion of the 2023-24 season with a wrist injury and also tore his ACL and MCL during his rookie year in 2020-21.
Burrow’s last fully healthy season was 2024-25, when he threw for a NFL-high 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns while helping the Bengals to a 9-8 record (and a five-game win streak to close out the season). For his performance, he was named the 2024 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens was ranked fifth, right behind Burrow. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers received votes, but did not make the final top 10 list or the “honorable mention” category.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Where NFL coaches, execs rank Bengals QB Joe Burrow, per ESPN
