Former NFL GM Bill Polian says Joe Burrow “most prepared” QB in rookie class

After releasing Andy Dalton, the Bengals made it clear that Joe Burrow is going to start on day one.

Zac Taylor, who played quarterback at Nebraska, drafted Burrow to be the team’s starter going forward. Another big name in the NFL who knows quarterbacks thinks that is a good idea.

Bill Polian, former GM of the Bills and the Colts, says that Burrow is the most NFL ready quarterback in the 2020 class.

“I think he’s probably the most prepared, the most confident to come in and play right away in the National Football League,” Polian said, via 247 Sports. “That doesn’t mean he’ll play well. Peyton led the league in interceptions his rookie year. No rookie plays well. But I don’t think he’ll be overwhelmed by it and I think he’s well prepared to be competitive and perhaps make his team successful. Look, it’s a long learning curve. No rookie achieves great success. It takes time. But of all of them, he’s probably the most prepared.”

Polian had some successful quarterbacks in his time as an NFL front office executive. A few quarterbacks who started their careers in Polian’s organizations included Jim Kelly, Peyton Manning, and Andrew Luck.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee recalled Manning’s rookie year didn’t go so smoothly. He set a new rookie record for interceptions while the team went 3-13 and finished in 5th place in the AFC East.

But in 1999, Manning’s second year, the Colts went 13-3, won first in the division, and Manning went to the Pro Bowl.

While the Bengals still have to grow around Burrow and improve, adding Burrow is the first step of many to get the Bengals back to the playoffs.