Tim Hasselbeck Says Joe Burrow Doesn’t Belong in the Top 5. His Reason Is Hard to Argue.

ESPN dropped its annual quarterback executive survey this week, and the list had the usual suspects near the top. Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford. Then Joe Burrow at No. 4. And that’s where things got interesting.

Former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck used his segment on “NFL on ESPN” to throw a flag on the play. He didn’t question Burrow’s talent. He questioned his availability.

“I think Joe Burrow is way too high,” Hasselbeck said. “He’s been in the league six years; he’s started every game in the regular season just three times. That’s half. So, to think he’s in this rarefied area inside the top five with guys who consistently play at an MVP level that are always seemingly available, that’s really surprising to me.”

Hasselbeck has a point. Burrow has missed 22 games since entering the league. His rookie year ended early with a torn ACL after just six games. Then he played two full seasons. But in 2023, a wrist injury knocked him out for seven games. Last season, turf toe limited him to eight appearances. That’s three of six seasons where he didn’t finish the regular season on the field.

The availability argument

“When Burrow is on, he’s on,” Hasselbeck said. “But you have to get to the point where you’re available. To me, I don’t think you can have him inside the top five when it’s a 50/50 proposition whether or not he’s gonna start every game through that season.”

It’s not exactly a hot take to say Burrow is elite when healthy. The guy took the Bengals to a Super Bowl and almost beat the Rams. He’s got a 2022 AFC title on his resume and a trio of Pro Bowls. But durability matters. And right now, Burrow has basically been a coin flip for a full season.

The executives who voted put him ahead of Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Drake Maye, Jared Goff, and Caleb Williams. That last part might raise some eyebrows too. Drake Maye? Above Goff? Maye has started 17 games in his career. That’s one season. One. And he’s ranked ahead of a guy who’s been to two straight Super Bowls.

But the Burrow debate is the one that’s actually worth having. Nobody questions the arm. The decision-making. The clutch gene. The question is whether you can build a franchise around a guy who might only give you 10 games a year. Bengals fans know that feeling all too well.

Hasselbeck isn’t saying Burrow is bad. He’s saying the ranking doesn’t match the reality. And until Burrow strings together a few truly healthy seasons, that argument isn’t going anywhere.