Josh Allen vs. Joe Burrow: Which franchise QB is more likely to retire with more Super Bowl rings?
When we look at all the quarterbacks playing in the NFL today, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow are two of the most exciting ones. We like to discuss them because they are among the younger generation with a lot left to achieve.
Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are toward the end of their careers. Even though they would argue they are not done yet, they have already enshrined themselves as future Hall of Famers because of their achievements. Among young quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes has also won the league MVP, Super Bowl MVP and the Super Bowl.
So when we talk about quarterbacks and their potential for greatness, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow are at the top of our minds. For the past three seasons, Josh Allen has been phenomenal in his performances and has been one of the reasons why the Buffalo Bills are genuine Super Bowl contenders every season.
Joe Burrow, meanwhile, has come into a franchise that no one ever expected to succeed and took them to a Super Bowl appearance last season. In the process, he broke the Cincinnati Bengals' long-term drought while waiting for a playoff victory.
Both of them are having stellar seasons again, and both look highly likely to make it to the upcoming playoffs. But only one of them will be able to proceed to the Super Bowl since both of them play in the AFC.
This got us wondering, who has a better chance of winning the Super Bowl? Not just this season, but when their career is all said is done. We thought we would look for some clues to give you the answer.
Who will collect more Super Bowl rings between Josh Allen and Joe Burrow?
Football is the ultimate team sport. For anyone to win a Super Bowl, individual performances are not enough, it takes a team to win it. Take, for example, Tom Brady and Jim Kelly as a comparison.
In Brady's first three Super Bowl wins, the New England Patriots won by a single field goal margin each time. His first Super Bowl win against the Rams featured a field goal by Adam Vinatieri as time expired.
Meanwhile, Jim Kelly lost Super Bowl XXV as part of the Buffalo Bills 20-19 to the New York Giants when Scott Norwood pulled a field goal wide right in the final seconds of the game. It would precipitate a series of four-straight Super Bowl losses.
Their stories could have been very different, and we could have been talking about Brady and Kelly in reverse if only their placekickers had executed their kicks differently. Those are the fine margins on which Super Bowls are won.
So we have to look at the teams they play in. The Buffalo Bills have been knocking on the door for a couple of seasons straight now. Josh Allen is 26 now and is surrounded by a team designed to win now. That is why they got Von Miller, though his injury scuppered his availabilty for the postseason. Their average age this season is 27.2, which is the fifth highest in the league. Next season, they are expected to be $14.8 million over the cap, which is the fifth highest in the league.
These teams are projected over the cap
Packers- $165K
Browns- $570K
Rams- $4.0M
Panthers- $9.3M
Vikings- $10.2M
Dolphins- $11.5M
Jaguars- $12.8M
Bills- $14.8M
Chargers- $16.0M
Titans- $22.1M
Bucs- $51.5M
Saints- $65.4M
Joe Burrow is one year younger at 25. The Cincinnati Bengals' average age is 25.65, which makes them the third-youngest team in the league. Next season, they are expected to be $42.7 million under the cap, which is the fifth lowest in the league. So this is a team that is designed to build into the future.
2023 projected cap room (inc. carryover, $225M cap, rosters at 51 players)
Bears- $110.8M
Falcons- $61.6M
Patriots- $52.5M
Giants- $49.3M
Bengals- $42.7M
Seahawks- $40.3M
Texans- $39.5M
Ravens- $39.4M
Colts- $24.9M
Raiders- $20.6M
Lions- $16.8M
Given those circumstances, Joe Burrow might get more opportunities to win a Super Bowl in the future. For Josh Allen, it seems to be more of a case of now or never.