How Joe Burrow has been similar to Peyton Manning, according to former Bengals coach Brian Callahan

Burrow continues to draw comparisons to all-time greats.

Part of the fun of having a superstar quarterback like Joe Burrow is comparing him to the great quarterbacks in NFL history.

It’s fun to think about how Burrow’s career may wind up like other great quarterbacks in NFL history like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Drew Brees and John Elway.

Recently, former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said how Joe Burrow is similar to Peyton Manning. Speaking in an appearance on The Athletic Football Show podcast, Callahan said Burrow is “in the similar mold that Peyton [Manning] is in, in terms of his processing and his quickness and his accuracy. A lot of these things we did in Denver hit firm.”

Callahan was a member of the Broncos offensive coaching staff from 2010-2015, the last four of those with Peyton Manning as Denver’s quarterback.

While the Broncos’ offense was middle of the pack in 2015 on their way to winning Super Bowl 50, their offense was top four in both scoring and yards per game in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

In 2021 and 2022, the two full seasons Burrow has played, the Bengals ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in points and 13th and 8th, respectively, in yards per game.

In the four seasons Callahan was on the coaching staff with Peyton Manning at quarterback, the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrine had 30 300-yard passing games with one more in the NFL Playoffs.

In four seasons Callahan has spent with Joe Burrow, the former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall draft pick has 19 300-yard passing games.

Keep in mind, though, that Burrow has missed parts of two seasons. He could easily have more 300-yard passing games.

But that is the main concern Bengals fans have about Joe Burrow: can he stay healthy?

He’s already had two major injuries in his young career. Then again, the last time he came off a major injury was when he led the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI in 2021.

Manning, on the other hand, didn’t miss significant time until he missed the entire 2011 season following neck surgery and then missed several games in the second half of the 2015 season. His health was rarely, if anything, a concern throughout his Hall of Fame career.

Health aside, though, the similarities between Burrow and Manning are evident. Bengals fans would be happy if Burrow’s career played similarly to Manning’s. After all, Peyton did win two Super Bowls, including the first one for the Colts in their history. Comparing the Bengals’ superstar quarterback to the great quarterbacks in NFL history is one of the fun parts of having a superstar quarterback.