Good luck finding many who could legitimately make a strong argument for any current quarterback, even Joe Burrow, to be considered to be better than Patrick Mahomes, who’s won two NFL MVPs and two Super Bowl rings.
But we found one, with former Cincinnati Bengals starting QB Carson Palmer, who made three Pro Bowls in his 14-year NFL career.
Palmer recently joined his brother Jordan, who is a former NFL QB himself, and now operates as the Director of Quarterback Development for the XFL in addition to hosting a podcast called “The QB Room.” The two QBs discussed the Mahomes and Burrow at length before Carson declared Cincinnati’s gunslinger as the best in the NFL today.
“I think Joe is the best quarterback in the league. I know Patrick [Mahomes] is phenomenal, but I just think Joe’s more consistent. He’s more consistent. He’s more accountable to run the system and the play that’s called and not feel like, “Well, he didn’t win last time and get open for me, so I’m gonna do it with my feet,” and then before you know it, you’re sacked for a four-yard loss because you tried to make two or three guys miss. Joe is just… talk about not having a weakness. Mentally strong, physically tough, accurate, can throw it far enough, fast enough, gets the ball out quick, and then he can actually do a lot with his legs.
Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer on why Joe Burrow is the best gunslinger in the NFL (H/T CincyJungle.com
Again, while Burrow is certainly very good, and in the conversation to be considered among the best QBs in the NFL today, we’re just not ready to declare him to be better than Mahomes.
Yet, he’s also not far behind, having shown he’s capable of taking the Bengals to the AFC Conference Championship two years in a row. Perhaps in the near future, he’ll add a Super Bowl ring to his accomplishments, but until then, he’s not better than Mahomes, at least in our eyes.
Related: NFL QB Rankings: See where Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes rank