NFL: Peyton Manning Gives Joe Burrow The Green Light To Surpass His Infamous Record

Being a top prospect in any sport includes an immense amount of pressure to succeed. But with success comes a period of struggle and failure. This is what Peyton Manning shared to this year’s projected first overall pick Joe Burrow

In one of the most recent memorable years, Burrow accomplished a perfect season in his final campaign with the LSU football program.

It was an unblemished run for Burrow as the LSU Tigers went on to win the 2020 National Championship Game against Clemson with a final score of 42-25. The entire country saw a dominant display put out by Burrow as he threw for 463 yards, was accountable for six touchdowns and took home the game’s offensive MVP. It was a phenomenal year for the Heisman Trophy winner as he tallied a total of 5,671 passing yards.

The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to select Burrow and lean on him to become their star quarterback. With the weight of carrying a franchise, Burrow received advice from Manning who was in a similar situation he is in now.

It was in the 1998 NFL draft that the Indianapolis Colts selected Manning as the first overall pick. He shared with Burrow that he should already anticipate the rough patches his new team will be in. There will be a lot of losses as Manning himself reiterated that he had a rookie record of 3-13.

In an ESPN interview, Manning admitted the struggles of a top pick in a rebuilding team and it will entail a lot of patience.

“So other people have to step up, have to give him some help. But for him I tried to tell him it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he shared by way of Bleacher Report.

"Look I lost more games my rookie year than I had my entire high school and college career combined. I threw 28 interceptions—that’s still an NFL record. If Joe wants to break that, Hannah, I’d be OK with that. We’d still be friends,” Manning added.

There’s a reason why teams have earned the top pick in the NFL draft. The load to turn a franchise around is huge but if Burrow follows Manning’s advice then perhaps the LSU quarterback can also have a storied professional football career.