At 26-years-old and entering his fourth year in the NFL, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is one of the league's fastest-growing stars.
While it is currently unknown whether Burrow will be ready to start Week 1 on September 10, as he continues to recover from a calf strain, there's no doubt that expectations for the Bengals will be high with Burrow at the helm.
With the stakes soaring, DAZN takes a look at Burrow's early career snapshot.
Where was Joe Burrow selected in the NFL Draft?
Talk about putting numbers on the board, Joe Burrow dazzled at LSU in 2019, throwing for a single-season record of 60 touchdowns and leading the team to a 2020 National Championship Game victory over Clemson against whom he aired it out for a mind-numbing 463 yards and six touchdowns.
All that and a 2019 Heisman Trophy win made the Cincinnati Bengals feel great in selecting Burrow as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Rookie year growing pains
The transition from Division I college football to the NFL can be challenging, and although Burrow had his fair share of rookie struggles in 2020, he did put up decent numbers, while showing flashes of brilliance.
In 10 games played, the quarterback completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 2,688 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also tossing five interceptions as the Bengals finished 4-11 in last place in the AFC North.
Burrow would use that experience as a foundation for what was to come next — a huge year.
Burrow, leads Bengals to Super Bowl and is named 2021 NFL Comeback Player of the Year
After a painful 2020, Burrow more than bounced back in 2021, completing 70.4 percent of his passes for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns, while also committing 14 interceptions in 16 games. Those passing stats made him a Top 10 NFL quarterback as he was able to lead the Bengals to an AFC North division title and run all the way to Super Bowl LVI, where they were edged by the Los Angeles Rams, 23-20.
The mammoth rebounding season made Burrow the 2021 NFL Comeback Player of the Year winner — not to mention, put the NFL on notice that the Bengals have an absolute star franchise quarterback to be reckoned with for many years to come.
Another big year from Burrow and his Bengals in 2022
Burrow followed up the Bengals' Super Bowl appearance by once again delivering an excellent body of work. The 2022 campaign had Burrow completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,475 yards, making him a Top 5 quarterback in that category. His 35 passing touchdowns were only second in the NFL to Patrick Mahomes (41) for the 2022 season.
Plus, Burrow was able to lead the Bengals to a 12-4 mark as they once again captured the AFC North Division. Once in the playoffs, Burrow sparked the Bengals to wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, before they were edged by the eventual-Super Bowl winner Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game.
After getting close for a couple of years, can Burrow lead the Bengals to a championship?