Only two Cincinnati Bengals have ever been named MVP, with Boomer Esiason becoming the franchise's last winner in 1988. Quarterback Joe Burrow just might become the third.
Halfway through the 2026 season, the Bengals' star is leading NFL passers in several key statistical categories and has his team tied for first place in the AFC North. With a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on "Sunday Night Football," Burrow and the Bengals can take sole possession of the top spot in the division.
Burrow is on a particularly hot stretch entering the Week 10 prime-time matchup. He's thrown at least three touchdowns in four straight games and has a rushing touchdown in each of the last two. In three of those last four games, Burrow has throw for four touchdowns –
his three-touchdown outing in Madrid broke the streak.
With nine weeks left in the regular season, plenty of football is still ahead, and a lot can change. But through the first nine weeks, Burrow has built up a strong résumé for MVP voters to consider. Barring a disastrous stretch (or injury) in the latter half of the year, the Bengals' quarterback has a chance to run away with the award.
Here's a closer look at Burrow's MVP case before Week 10's "Sunday Night Football" game, plus a look at his current betting odds to win the award:
Joe Burrow has built a strong MVP case – and is on a historic pace
There is no such thing as a passing triple crown in the NFL – that distinction is exclusive to receivers who lead the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns at the end of the year.
If there were a passing triple crown, given to quarterbacks who lead the NFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns and completion rate, Burrow would be on pace to win. If the third statistic were passer rating instead of completion rate, Burrow would be on pace to win that, too. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, every quarterback that has led the league in passing yards, touchdowns and passer rating has won the MVP award.
Through nine weeks – half of the 18-week regular season – Burrow's 23 touchdowns, 298.3 yards per game, 74% completion rate and 114.8 passer rating all lead the NFL. The quarterback also has an interception rate (2.0%) and sack rate (4.82%) that sit below league averages.
If he keeps up his current pace, Burrow would end the year with more than 5,000 passing yards – becoming the 10th quarterback in history to have a 5,000-yard season – and 49 touchdowns. If he managed to crest 5,000 passing yards and 50 touchdowns, he'd be just the third quarterback ever to accomplish the feat, along with Peyton Manning in 2013 and Patrick Mahomes in 2018. He'd also be the first to do so with a completion rate over 70%, if that 74% mark holds.
Notably, Burrow is also using his legs to his advantage more than he has in several years. He's on pace for 49 rush attempts, which would be his most in a season since 2022 (75); 164 rushing yards, third-most in his career and most since 2024; and six rushing touchdowns, which would be a career high. Pro Football Reference also credits Burrow with a 65.2% success rate on his rushes – another career high, if it stands.
Most important of all, Burrow has the Bengals winning. Cincinnati's 6-2 start is its best through eight games in the Zac Taylor era. Both losses have been by one score. The 6-2 record also marks the best start to a season the Bengals have had since a perfect, 8-0 beginning to the 2015 season.
With a win on Nov. 15, Cincinnati can take over sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The Bengals have a real shot at their first division title since 2022, and while the improved defense deserves a lot of credit, Burrow has been the real MVP.
NFL MVP betting odds ahead of Week 10
Here's how betting odds for the NFL MVP award look through nine weeks of the 2026 season, according to DraftKings Sportsbook as of Nov. 13.
- QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: +170
- QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills: +275
- QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers: +425
- QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: +600
- QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: +800
- QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears: +1800
- QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: +4500
- QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: +4500
- QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots: +4500
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions: +6500
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Burrow's strong MVP case makes him betting favorite at halfway point
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