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Mike Daniels has really made himself a fan favorite since joining the Cincinnati Bengals prior to the 2020 season. He has been disruptive on the defensive line, but he has been equally defensive in the media letting everyone know Cincinnati has someone special under center.
Daniels recently talked with NFL Network’s Good Morning Football and was speaking about why he was excited to re-sign with the Bengals. One of the big reasons was former first overall pick Joe Burrow.
“You know what I say about Joe Burrow, man. That’s like baby Aaron,” Daniels said. “You don’t see many rookies step into a locker room, and you can tell, you would think he’s a four-year vet if you didn’t know who he was. To have that at the quarterback position, that means he has the right type of savvy, the right type of poise that you only see from guys like Aaron. I’ve been saying this since I got there. I see a lot of similarities between the two. I’m just excited to be able to be a part of that, man. The kid’s got a lot to him. He’s got a lot of upside. He’s only going to get better. You talk to Who Dey nation, man, they’re gonna let you know. Joe Burrow is the savior, man! He really is to this organization.”
It isn’t hard to see what Daniels is talking about. You could sense it as soon as it became obvious that Burrow and the Bengals were destined to link in the pros. The way he led LSU to a National Championship by playing his best football with everyone in the country watching. The way he showed up to training camp during an offseason devastated by COVID-19. Even in the poise he has shown during his recovery from a terrible ACL injury during the middle of last season. Everything about Burrow screams that he has that it factor that so many players who have been around the greats refer to.
Daniels spent quite a few seasons chasing Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers at practice, and now he has gotten to do the same with Burrow. The physical makeup of how these two play quarterback may be different, but the way they can carry a team by making everyone around them better is something that Cincinnati hasn’t had at the quarterback position from a while. It will be fun to watch Burrow prove Daniels and Bengals fans over the course of his career. We can just skip this recent Rodgers chapter though.