Peter King compares Joe Burrow to Dan Fouts

Peter King, current NBC Sports writer and Cincinnati Enquirer alumni, stopped by Paul Brown Stadium to catch some training camp practices. Dan Hoard, the voice of the Bengals, got a chance to chat with King about Joe Burrow.

“I think Joe Burrow is Dan Fouts,” said King. There is a strong similarity between the Chargers’ Hall of Fame quarterback and his current Bengal’s counterpart.

“I think the Bengals are gonna play some games like the ‘80’s Chargers. I think they’re going to lose some 41-33, and they’re gonna win games 38-35. A few games. I think that’s the style of game they’re gonna play.”

Of course, the Charger’s main rival for dominance in the AFC was the Bengals back in the 1980s. King thinks the Bengals have their best shot since that decade to go all the way.

The other anecdote that proves how tough Burrow is comes from the Bengals’ game against the Eagles.

“I think what you saw in his rookie year is his ability to take a lot of hits—until ultimate one—and to keep functioning in a good manner. In the game against Philadelphia, he got the living crap beat out of him, and he just kept coming back for more. I remember listening to him on the Collinsworth podcast, maybe three months ago, talking about what he felt was kind of the respect he got from the Eagles after that game...that is going to play well in his own locker room. So I think he’s well respected by the rest of the league and you can tell he’s well respected in his own locker room.”

King was talking about a story that Cris Collinsworth heard from Brandon Graham of the Eagles. After taking a hit that didn’t draw a flag, Burrow reportedly told the Eagles’ defense, “When I’m the GOAT, I’m going to get that call.”

King couldn’t think of a personal story to share about Burrow, but he included one from Burrow’s playing days at LSU to show how special he is.

“The thing that really impressed me was in the game against Alabama, the mega game of the year,” said King. “He came out firing. He doesn’t need the three or four quick little check downs against the great Nick Saban’s defense to get confidence in himself. He doesn’t need that. ‘Hey, let’s go. Hey, let’s throw a 25-yard in-cut on the first pass of the game’...I have great admiration for that.”

The only thing that’s going to work against Burrow is the Bengals’ offensive line.

“The one other thing I would say in today’s NFL...you don’t know and I don’t know how they’re going to protect him.”