A fresh debate surrounding Joe Burrow has now pulled comparisons to Matthew Stafford and his early years with the Lions. During the Locked On Bengals podcast, analysts Jake Liscow and James Rapien discussed why Burrow's stats read better than last year's MVP winner.

On the podcast, the analysts revisited Tim Hasselbeck’s earlier comparison between Burrow and Stafford, particularly around injuries and team success early in their careers, highlighting Burrow's edge over the veteran quarterback.

"Shout out to John Sharon for this, " started Jake Liscow. "(Sharon) Compared Joe Burrow through six years to Matt Stafford through six years. Burrow 43-33-1 in the regular season, 5-2 in the postseason. Stafford was 35-42 in the regular season."

As the conversation continued, the analysts laid out early career numbers for both quarterbacks, pointing out the differences and results over the same span.

"So (Stafford) had a losing record in the regular season, whereas Joe's 10 games over .500 Stafford, seven games below .500 with the Lions," Liscow continued. "An 0 and 2 postseason record for the Lions. So he made it to the postseason twice, like Joe did. Never won the division in the first six years of Matt Stafford's time in Detroit. He was a Pro Bowler once. Joe Burrow obviously won the division twice."

Burrow has now earned three Pro Bowl selections across the last four seasons, continuing to establish himself among the league’s elite quarterbacks.

Even during an injury-shortened 2025 campaign, Burrow still secured a Pro Bowl nod after throwing for 1,809 yards and 17 touchdowns in just eight games before his turf toe issue sidelined him for most of the year.

Stafford, meanwhile, has two Pro Bowl selections in the last four years with a league high 4,707 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns last year.

The analysts also went on to discuss the 2026 outlook for the Bengals amid their roster additions.

Bengals’ 2026 Outlook and Roster Moves Under Review

The conversation also moved into Cincinnati's roster direction as the team continues adjusting parts of its setup heading into the 2026 season.

The analysts pointed to recent defensive additions, including the arrival of Dexter Lawrence.

“Notably, I think this changes significantly when they take the swing on Dexter Lawrence. I think that will be something we look back on as a turning point, and we'll see how it turns out." James Rapien said during the discussion.

Lawrence arrived at the Bengals in exchange for the Bengals' 2026 overall no. 10 pick. The veteran New York Giants player brings a lot of experience with 30.5 career sacks and 341 combined tackles.

"The energy that followed the arrival of Dexter Lawrence and the confidence that has grown from that move for pretty much every player that has been asked about it is certainly noticeable at this time of year,” Rapien also said.

The discussions also touched on how injuries and uneven stretches over the recent season have influenced the team's recent outlook, especially as Cincinnati continues fine-tuning depth across both sides of the ball.

What do you think? Will the Bengals have a good 2026 season?

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Written by

Debanjali Rakshit

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote