Joe Burrow drew a blunt comparison on First Things First this week when analyst Chris Broussard called the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback “the Anthony Davis of the NFL,” praising his talent while questioning his availability.

“Great player, no doubt about it. Can’t stay healthy,” Broussard said on the FS1 morning show, a line that’s already making the rounds on social platforms and clips from the episode. 

The barb lands because it captures a recurring narrative around Burrow. Elite production when on the field, durability questions when he isn’t. Burrow has been rehabbing from a left-foot turf-toe injury that required surgery in September and landed him on injured reserve, yet he took full practice reps this week for the second straight day, suggesting he’s trending toward a return. 

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That progress tempers Broussard’s jab. When healthy, Burrow remains one of the NFL’s most lethal passers, a quarterback whose timing and pocket presence validated Cincinnati’s aggressive building around him. This season, limited action shows 189 passing yards and two touchdowns in a small sample, numbers the Bengals want to expand back to 2024 form. 

Still, the comparison to Anthony Davis, a transcendent talent whose career has been punctuated by injuries, stung because it’s rooted in fact. Burrow’s teammates praised his work this week, and coach Zac Taylor has kept decisions cautious, leaving the final call to medical staff and practice observations. If Burrow clears protocol, Cincinnati will welcome a quarterback who can immediately change the offense’s ceiling. 

Broussard’s remark isn’t an attempt to bury Burrow’s résumé; it's just a way to express frustration for the league and Bengals fans being deprived of such talent. Burrow's biggest nemesis is not any other opponent or any other QB in the league; it's himself, and keeping himself fit. However, with Joe Flacco currently pulling the strings for the Bengals, it will be interesting to see what Taylor does when it comes to picking his QB1.