Warner Says Burrow Can Lead Bengals to Super Bowl

Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner says Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has the ability to carry Cincinnati as far as the team goes, including a Super Bowl title.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Football

Warner Says Burrow Can Lead Bengals to Super Bowl

Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner said Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow can lead the team to the Super Bowl during an analysis appearance on NFL Network ahead of a Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid. Warner, a longtime family friend of Burrow's parents, framed the comments around Burrow's ability to carry the team deep into the postseason.

Why it matters

Warner's endorsement comes as the Bengals rank 30th in the league in rushing, putting more weight on Burrow's passing game. Cincinnati last reached the Super Bowl in 2021, and the team's standing this season will determine whether Warner's projection holds.

Warner's comments are a personal projection rather than a measured forecast, and the stub provides no current odds or ratings for Cincinnati. The Bengals' 30th-place rushing rank and 23rd-place 2021 defensive ranking are the only team figures available to ground the assessment.

The players

Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and former NFL quarterback who now works as a broadcast analyst.

Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow is the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback who has been widely considered one of the league's top passers.

The details

During an NFL Network analysis segment ahead of the Bengals' Week 9 matchup against the Falcons in Madrid, Warner said Burrow can carry Cincinnati as far as it wants to go. He recalled that he had picked Burrow as his 2022 NFL MVP and, earlier in the season, pointed to Burrow's response to Tampa Bay's blitz as the key to the Bengals' season opener.

2021: The Bengals reached the Super Bowl.
2022: Warner revealed Burrow was his NFL MVP pick that season.
September: Warner discussed the Bengals-Bucs season opener.
Thursday night: Warner introduced Burrow before Josh Allen was named 2024 NFL MVP at NFL Honors.
November 8: Week 9 game against the Falcons in Madrid.

Season Trajectory

Warner's projection measures this season against the Bengals' 2021 Super Bowl appearance, when Cincinnati reached the championship game with a defense ranked 23rd in the league. Whether the team can match that run now depends on a rushing attack ranked 30th and whether Burrow can compensate.

Burrow's passing performance will carry more weight for Cincinnati's offense given the team's 30th-place rushing rank. Fantasy managers rostering Bengals skill players should watch how the passing game absorbs the lack of a running game.

The takeaway

Warner's endorsement is a projection, not a result, and the Bengals' rushing and defensive rankings will test it. Readers tracking Cincinnati should weigh Burrow's output against those team-wide numbers rather than the analyst's optimism alone.