The Denver Broncos rostered the Defensive Player of the Year and two others who received votes for the award in 2024. One of them was outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, who immediately thinks of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow as one of the most underrated QBs in the NFL after facing him in an overtime thriller last season.
Bonitto, a first-time Pro Bowler last year thanks to his 13.5 sacks, did not register a sack against Burrow in Cincinnati's 30-24 win over Denver in Week 17. He hardly won at all in his 54 pass-rushing reps, but to be fair, the Broncos' top-ranked defense in terms of EPA/allowed per play didn't have much success against Burrow and Co.
Bonitto saw up close and personal how Burrow was able to have masterful outing featuring 412 passing yards and three touchdowns on 39/49 passing. The performance solidified Burrow, according to Bonitto, as a QB who is more underrated than anyone at that position.
"Every time that the ball was hiked, like the ball's already getting out, and he knew where he wanted to go and it was always on the money," Bonitto said on a recent episode of the Pick a Side podcast. "So when we talk about a guy that's just able to be smart and manipulate the pocket like he does, it was a tough go for us."
Pre-snap awareness and post-snap processing are the underlying traits that make Burrow very hard to play against. For pass-rushers like Bonitto, they don't always get the chance to finish a pressure against him because the ball is already out. Burrow's average time to throw in that game was 2,49 seconds, which was 0.16 seconds faster than his season-long average.
On the plays where Burrow did hold the ball, Bonitto witnessed another elite aspect of No. 9's game.
"He was harder to sack and get together than any other quarterback," Bonitto said. "Just because if he sees you going high, he's gonna escape through the B-Gap, and he's gonna find a receiver or he's just gonna run."
This wasn't just any regular season game. The Broncos could've clinched their playoff berth with a win, and the Bengals needed to win in order to stay in playoff contention. With the season on the line, Bonitto got a taste of what it's like to face Burrow when he's all the way dialed in.
Burrow's combination of processing and athleticism is what makes him special, his superpowers, if you will. That and his touch and accuracy more than makes up for his arm strength not being near the top of the league. You don't need to be able to push the ball 60 yards down the field all the time if you can frustrate players of Bonitto's caliber in other ways.
After finishing fourth in MVP voting last season and winning his second Comeback Player of the Year award, Burrow can only be labeled underrated for so much longer. His 2024 campaign firmly established him as one of the best at what he does. Bonitto is surely not the only one who believes it.
