Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer recently made some comments that adds more fuel to the Patrick Mahomes vs. The World This Week debate. Palmer, who’s stayed relatively hidden since his solid NFL career ended in 2017, started a podcast with his brother Jordan called “The QB Room.” There the brothers talk everything football, with a focus on signal-callers.
Carson Palmer Says Joe Burrow Is Better Than Patrick Mahomes
Carson decided to stir the pot a bit by proclaiming that current Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the QB in the NFL, this after watching Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes win his second Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP.
But for Palmer, it’s Burrow’s trust and operating in the Bengals system that sets him apart.
“I think Joe is the best quarterback in the league. I know Patrick Mahomes is phenomenal, but I just think Joe is more consistent. He’s more consistent. He’s more accountable to run the system and the play that’s called and not feel like, ‘Well, he didn’t win last time and get open for me, so I’m gonna do it with my feet, and then before you know it you’re sacked for a 4-yard loss because you tried to make two or three guys miss.
“Joe is just — talk about not having a weakness. Mentally strong, physically tough, accurate, can throw it far enough, fast enough, gets the ball out quick, and then he can actually do a lot with his legs.”
Palmer’s choice sounds more like a homer pick than anything. When has Burrow ever been more consistent than Mahomes? And another thing he must remember is Mahomes has a lot of hardware to show for his greatness, while Burrow doesn’t.
Palmer’s Argument Contradicts What He’s Saying
When you listen to Palmer’s reasoning it sounds like he’s describing a system quarterback when he talks about how Burrow plays. While that’s fine, one has to wonder how Burrow would operate outside of the Bengals system that features more three-wide receiver sets than any team in the NFL. And it should when you have dynamic playmakers like Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
But give Mahomes that trio of pass catchers and watch what he could do. The guy just won a Super Bowl the season after the team traded his most dynamic weapon in wideout Tyreek Hill. Mahomes just won a Super Bowl with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marques Valdez-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and others, with his only mainstay being all-world tight end Travis Kelce.
That says a lot about him as a player and being able to deviate from the Chiefs system to make those around him better. That’s something Burrow doesn’t have to do because of the talent at wide receiver that he has at his disposal.
Burrow Owns Head-To-Head, Mahomes Got Last Laugh
The two young, supremely talented maestros have matched up four times with Burrow winning the first three matchups, including the 2022 AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Mahomes broke through and finally beat Burrow in this past season’s AFC title game.
What’s even more astounding is all four games have been decided by walk-off field goals by the winner. If Palmer wants to put Burrow as the No. 2 QB in the league go for it, but ain’t no way in hell he’s ahead of Patrick “Ketchup On Errthang” Mahomes.
