Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is (somehow) quietly shooting up the projected MVP charts.
The running tally so far? Eight games, 74 percent completion percentage, 2,386 yards, 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions for a 6-2 team hoping to make it 7-2 and tops in the AFC North with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night.
The MVP pace is getting hard to deny, to the point even a consistent Bengals critic like Night Wright is coming around to the idea for Burrow.
“I think [Joe Burrow] is going to end up being the MVP this year,” Wright said on First Things First. “The numbers are outstanding, the remaining schedule is soft… I think the Bengals are gonna have a really good record, he’s going to have plenty of opportunity to put
up stats.”
It’s not just the obvious stuff, either. Burrow's averaging 2.118 touchdown passes per game, the highest in NFL history:
Joe Burrow now averages 2.118 touchdown passes per game, the highest of any quarterback in NFL history. Patrick Mahomes is next at 2.097, followed by Peyton Manning at 2.03 and Drew Brees at 1.99.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2026
More with @tyschmit:
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Burrow is currently on pace for 49 touchdowns and 5,000-plus yards, among other eye-popping numbers. Things need to keep going right, especially with the rather unusual healthy streak for his top wideouts and entire offensive line, but the numbers could be pretty undeniable.
Don’t forget, too, that the Bengals will face a pretty “easy” schedule the rest of the way, so the winning part of the MVP conversation could shape up nicely for Burrow, too.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Joe Burrow’s MVP hype gets an unexpected backer
