CINCINNATI — Another first for Joe Burrow.
For the third time in his career, the 28-year-old star quarterback was named the Bengals’ 2024 Most Valuable Player by the Cincinnati Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America, the group announced on Tuesday. Burrow earned all first-place votes submitted. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was second in voting while defensive end Trey Hendrickson – last year’s winner – came in third.
Burrow sets the record for the most times a player has won the award since its inception in 2002. He also won the award in 2021 and 2022. Burrow, the top overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft, has captured the Bengals’ honor in each season that wasn’t ended prematurely by injury.
“As the games grew bigger, Joe Burrow got better, and proved more valuable to the Bengals with each passing week,” said Mike Petraglia, President of the Cincinnati chapter of the PFWA in the official release.
In his first year since a season-ending wrist surgery, Burrow had his best year to-date. In 17 starts, he completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns. Burrow led the entire NFL in each of those categories as well.
“Burrow captured the final two AFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for all games played in November, December and January and – in the process – almost single-handedly kept the Bengals in the playoff race through the final game of the season,” added Petraglia.
Other past MVP winners have been QB Jon Kitna (2002-03), HB Rudi Johnson (’04), QB Carson Palmer (’05), OT Willie Anderson (’06), WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (’07-08), CBs Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph (’09), OT Andrew Whitworth (’10), QB Andy Dalton (’11 and ’15), DT Geno Atkins (’12 and ’17), LB Vontaze Burfict (’13), HB Jeremy Hill (’14), WR A.J. Green (’16), HB Joe Mixon (’18), WR Tyler Boyd (’19), S Jessie Bates (’20), DE Trey Hendrickson (’23) and Burrow (’21, ’22).
Burrow earned his second Pro Bowl nod. He is also a finalist for three major Associated Press awards — Offensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player.
Burrow is a finalist for the AP NFL MVP honor, along with Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jared Goff and Saquon Barkley. That award will be announced Thursday during the NFL Honors program at Super Bowl LIX activities in New Orleans. Burrow is also a leading contender for NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year, an award Burrow captured in 2021 after leading the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI after his comeback from ACL reconstruction in 2020.
Other Bengals up for consideration are Ja’Marr Chase for NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Trey Hendrickson for Defensive Player of the Year.
