Ranking the Top 5 Cincinnati Bengals Quarterbacks of All Time tchieu

Has Joe Burrow done enough to be considered one of the top five Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks of all time?

When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they hoped to get their quarterback of the future. Burrow hasn't disappointed.

Although he's often been injured, Burrow led the Bengals to a berth in Super Bowl 56 in just his second season in the NFL. He tore his ACL in his rookie season, tore a ligament in his wrist in 2023, and was limited to 10 games in each season. Despite the injuries, he is expected to be the Bengals' quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Burrow joins a healthy list of Cincy signal-callers, all of whom we examined to determine the top five in franchise history. After just four years in the NFL, does Joe Cool rank among the greatest quarterbacks in Bengals history?

1 Ken Anderson

Ken Anderson remains the Bengals' all-time passing leader

The Bengals selected Ken Anderson in the third round of the 1971 NFL Draft, and he struggled out of the gates, going 0-4 in his four starts as a rookie. He had more control of the offense in his second season, making 13 starts and going 7-6 while throwing for 1,918 yards and seven touchdowns.

Anderson was known more for his passing efficiency than for having a strong arm. He led the NFL in completion percentage three times, including a career-high 70.6% in the strike-shortened 1982 season. He led the Bengals to a 10-4 mark in 1973 and then had consecutive Pro Bowl seasons in 1975 and 1976. He led the league in passing yardage in 1974 and 1975.

Anderson was actually benched in the season opener in 1981 against the Seattle Seahawks after throwing two early interceptions and was replaced by Turk Schonert, who led the Bengals to a come-from-behind win.

Despite the benching, Anderson remained the starter for the rest of the season, which turned out to be the right move. He went 12-4, was named NFL MVP, and took the Bengals to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers.

In his 16 seasons with the Bengals, Anderson compiled a record of 91-81, and his 32,838 passing yards rank first in franchise history. He's second on the Bengals' all-time list for touchdown passes with 197 and is a longtime member of the Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor.

2 Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton opened his NFL career with five straight winning seasons

Andy Dalton over Boomer Esiason? Yes, and here's why.

Although Dalton didn't take the Bengals to a Super Bowl like Esiason did, he put up better numbers in a shorter amount of time in Cincinnati. The Bengals selected the "Red Rifle" in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and he began his NFL career with five straight winning seasons.

As a rookie, Dalton guided the Bengals to a 9-7 record and earned the first of his three Pro Bowl selections. He tossed 20 touchdown passes, threw for 3,398 yards, and finished second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Dalton followed that up with four straight 10-plus-win seasons. During the first five years of his NFL career, he went 50-26-1. He also started every game during his first four seasons.

Even when the Bengals went 6-9-1 in 2016, Dalton's first losing campaign, he made the Pro Bowl after throwing for 4,206 yards and 18 touchdown passes.

In his nine seasons with the Bengals, Dalton went 70-61-2, while Esiason went 62-61 in 10 years. Dalton completed 62.0% of his passes with the Bengals. Boomer finished at 56.5%.

Dalton's 204 touchdown passes are the most in franchise history, and his 31,594 passing yards are second to Anderson.

3 Boomer Esiason

Boomer Esiason was named NFL MVP of the 1988 season

Arguing that Esiason should be ahead of Dalton isn't absurd at all. It was simply Dalton's consistency over his nine years that gave him the slight edge.

Esiason certainly put together the best single season between the two, which came in 1988. During that season, the Maryland alum started all 16 games and led the Bengals to a 12-4 record and a berth in Super Bowl 23, where they again lost to the San Francisco 49ers.

Despite failing to win a title, Boomer was named the league's MVP that year after throwing for 3,572 yards and racking up 28 touchdown passes. He also led all quarterbacks with a 97.4 rating.

Esiason earned three Pro Bowl selections with the Bengals and one All-Pro selection, that coming during his MVP campaign.

In his 10 years with the Bengals, Esiason finished with 187 touchdown passes, which ranks him third in franchise history. After his first run with Cincinnati came to a close, he played three years with the New York Jets and went 15-27 as the starting quarterback. He then played one season with the Arizona Cardinals before returning to Cincinnati in 1997, going 4-1 in five starts.

Esiason, the NFL's Man of the Year in 1995, is also a member of the team's Ring of Honor.

4 Carson Palmer

Carson Palmer showed toughness and grit during his seven seasons with the Bengals

The Bengals took USC superstar and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer with the first pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, but he spent his entire rookie season watching Jon Kitna from the bench. After taking in a full NFL season from the sidelines, Palmer was named the starter in 2004 and went 6-7 in 13 starts.

The following season, Palmer made quite an impact. He started every game and went 11-5, earning Pro Bowl honors. He led all quarterbacks by completing 67.8% of his throws, and his 32 touchdown passes were also an NFL best. He finished fifth in the MVP voting.

During the playoffs that season, Palmer tore his ACL in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the Bengals' first pass of the game. The injury was originally deemed career-threatening, but after reconstructive surgery, Palmer was back in action for the 2006 season.

Palmer didn't skip a beat, putting together another Pro Bowl season, throwing for 4,035 yards and 28 touchdown passes. Remarkably, he started all 16 games, but the Bengals went 8-8.

After a 4-12 season in 2010, he asked for a trade and eventually held out of training camp. During the 2011 season, with Dalton taking the snaps under center, Cincinnati traded Palmer to the Oakland Raiders. He played two years with Oakland before closing out his career with five seasons with the Cardinals.

Palmer played seven seasons with the Bengals, compiling a record of 46-51.

5 Joe Burrow

Injuries have plagued Joe Burrow early in his promising career

Like Palmer, Burrow was the first overall pick in the draft, selected by the Bengals in 2020. After leading LSU to a national title following the 2019 college football campaign, Burrow struggled a bit in his first professional season.

In nine starts, he went 2-7 and tore his ACL in Week 11. He returned for the 2021 season and started all 16 games, guiding the Bengals to a 10-6 record and leading the NFL in completion percentage (70.4%).

Burrow also threw for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns as the Bengals made their way to Super Bowl 56, their first title game since 1988. They came up short to the Los Angeles Rams, falling 23-20, but Burrow was named Comeback Player of the Year.

In 2022, Burrow made 16 starts, going 12-4. He continued to put up big numbers, racking up 4,475 yards and throwing a career-high 35 touchdown passes. He led the Bengals back to the AFC title game, where they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 23-20.

In 2023, the injury bug bit Burrow once again. He was hobbled by a strained calf suffered during training camp, and then suffered a torn ligament in his wrist during a Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens, ending his season. He went 5-5 in his 10 starts.

The ceiling is high for Burrow, and the door is wide open for him to eventually become No. 1 on this list. If he's able to stay on the field, the sky is the limit for Joe Cool.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.