Former Super Bowl-winning coach and current Barstool Sports personality Jon Gruden delivered one of the strongest endorsements yet for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow ahead of a high-stakes primetime showdown.
With both the Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers sitting at 6-2, Sunday night’s AFC North clash in Cincinnati carries the weight of first place in the division.
The game also marks a personal milestone for Burrow.
His first career primetime contest against a division rival on his home field, a notable gap considering he is already in his seventh NFL season.
On the weekly “Gruden Family Football Show” alongside his brother Jay, Gruden not only picked the Bengals to win but elevated Burrow’s current play to a level he has rarely, if ever, witnessed.
“Joe Burrow, he is on fire, man,” Gruden said.
“I mean this guy, I’ve never seen the quarterback position played better. He’s moving around, he’s using three different receivers that have six or more touchdowns. That’s amazing. I’m taking the Bengals, even though I love Aaron Rodgers.”
The praise carries extra resonance coming from a coach who has spent decades evaluating quarterbacks at the highest level.
Gruden highlighted Burrow’s mobility and his ability to distribute the ball across multiple weapons, a balance that has fueled Cincinnati’s offensive efficiency through the first half of the 2026 season.
Entering Week 10, Burrow leads the NFL in both passing yards (2,386) and touchdown passes (23) while completing 74 percent of his attempts, the highest mark in the league.
Those numbers have placed him firmly in the MVP conversation with more than half the regular season still ahead.
The matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offers a natural stage for that form.
Gruden’s willingness to side with Cincinnati despite his admitted affinity for the veteran Steelers quarterback underscores how thoroughly Burrow has separated himself in the former coach’s eyes.
For a Bengals team seeking to seize control of the AFC North on national television, the combination of Burrow’s statistical dominance and high-profile external validation adds another layer of momentum heading into the primetime spotlight.
