After playing alongside Aaron Rodgers for seven years, Bengals defensive lineman Mike Daniels presumably has a solid understanding of what the quarterback looks like on a day-to-day basis.
Daniels is about to enter his second season with Cincinnati, re-signing with the club on a one-year deal in March. And while head coach Zac Taylor was one reason he wanted to return, quarterback Joe Burrow was another big one.
“You know what I say about Joe Burrow, man — that’s like baby Aaron,” Daniels said during a Thursday interview on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.
Baby Aaron as in baby Aaron Rodgers.
So, that prompted co-host Nate Burleson’s obvious follow-up question: Did Daniels really want to compare Burrow to one of the greatest to ever play the game?
“You don’t see many rookies step into a locker room and you would think the guy is a four-year vet if you didn’t know who he was,” Daniels said. “And to have that at the quarterback position, that means he has the right type of savvy, the right type of poise that you only see from guys like Aaron. And I’ve been saying it since I got there, I see a lot of similarities between the two and I’m just excited to be able to be part of it, man.
“He’s got a lot to him. He’s got a lot of upside. He’s only going to get better. And you talk to ‘Who Dey’ nation, they’re gonna let you know — Joe Burrow is the savior, man. He really is to this organization.”
Those are lofty words from Daniels. But the Bengals did draft Burrow at No. 1 overall for a reason, and that was to become the face of the franchise.
By all accounts, Burrow’s return from reconstructive knee surgery has him on track to start the season behind center. He threw for 2,688 yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 starts last season.