Stephen A. Smith says Tua Tagovailoa will have a better career than Joe Burrow primarily because Burrow will have to play for the Cincinnati Bengals.
The ESPN personality was in full character Monday, suggesting spots like Miami and Detroit would be better for Burrow. Here’s a blurb from the lengthy, strange rant:
“I’m gonna say Tua because he doesn’t have to play for the Cincinnati Bengals…that’s football’s version of purgatory.”
Smith goes on to throw out words like “cheap” and “ineffective” while noting a “plethora” of other quarterbacks have been ruined by the organization — the last point, specifically, is factually inaccurate over the last 20 years.
Besides the misfire on Cincinnati going through many quarterbacks, some of the talking points here are a little outdated during an offseason where the Bengals committed more than $100 million in free agents as they get ready to build around Burrow’s rookie contract.
Which isn’t to praise the way the Bengals got in this hole as of late. But we can have lengthy conversations about drafting mishaps, retention mishaps and coaches overstaying their welcome as opposed to ruining quarterbacks and not paying players. In comparison to some of the other teams mentioned as good landing spots, the Bengals have had plenty of modern successes.
So why point this out at all? The Bengals like being underdogs. Burrow thinks he can turn them around. Feel free to chalk up Smith in the “doubters” column for when the occasion comes.
