Few quarterbacks in NFL history have been taken down as many times as Joe Burrow this season.
Burrow was sacked seven times in Super Bowl LVI, tying a Super Bowl record. And that brought his total number of sacks for the 2021 regular season and postseason to 70, the third-most in NFL history.
Only David Carr, who was sacked 76 times in the first year of the Texans expansion franchise in 2002, and Randall Cunningham, who was sacked 72 times in 1986, have been sacked more than Burrow in this season and postseason.
Given that Burrow’s rookie season ended with a torn ACL, 70 sacks in his second season have to be a concern for the Bengals. They’re likely to use their ample salary cap space to try to improve their offensive line in free agency, but they also need Burrow himself to get better at recognizing the pass rush and getting rid of the ball before he gets hit. The Bengals can’t afford for Burrow to get sacked another 70 times next season.