The Joe Burrow vs. Justin Herbert debate continues at the NFL’s halfway point.
Burrow, the No. 1 pick and Cincinnati Bengals starter since day one, seems like he’ll be in the running for individual awards all season. But Herbert, the sixth pick by the Los Angeles Chargers, continues to provide stiff competition after keeping the job there.
At the halfway point, it’s Herbert — not Burrow — reeling in All-Rookie team honors from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler:
Despite attempting 68 fewer passes, Herbert has more passing touchdowns (15) than Burrow (11), holding the edge in completion percentage (67.4) and passing yards per game (303.3). He has also been more impressive when it comes to pushing the ball downfield, accounting for 23 passing plays of 20-plus yards, compared to 20 for Burrow.
It’s an interesting comparison right now. One could easily make an argument for Burrow considering he’s done his damage behind a miserable offensive line and even upset the Titans without a Week 1 starter in front of him at all. Burrow has also steadily improved, significantly closing the gap vs. Herbert in deep completions lately.
For what it’s worth, there’s no wrong answer. For example, Pro Football Focus has Burrow at a 77.2 grade — highest of all AFC North quarterbacks — and Herbert at a 76.4.
Regardless of one’s opinion here, it’s going to be downright thrilling to watch both rookie passers over the season’s second half.
