NCAAF Roster Management â Part 4. Conference Revenue
Exploring how conference revenue shapes NCAAF roster management strategies.
ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck compares Joe Burrow's career with the Bengals to Matthew Stafford's time with the Lions, suggesting a negative outlook. This comparison has drawn criticism for lacking historical and statistical support.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks for hands to shake after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. The Browns kicked a last second field goal to win 20-18. © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
ESPN NFL analyst Tim Hasselbeck compares Joe Burrowâs time with the Cincinnati Bengals to Matthew Staffordâs run with the Detroit Lions. History and the numbers do not support this comparison.
Joe Burrow on the Cincinnati Bengals reminds Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck of Matthew Stafford on the Detroit Lions.
And not in a complimentary way.
âIn some ways for me, it feels like Matthew Stafford early on in Detroit,â Hasselbeck said on NFL Live Tuesday afternoon. âWhile thereâs talent, and you think wow, this team could be really good, this quarterback is definitely a Super Bowl caliber quarterback, but like, man they just organizationally canât get it done. Canât be competitive with the elite organizations in the league.
Tim Hasselbeck compared Joe Burrow's experience with the Cincinnati Bengals to Matthew Stafford's time with the Detroit Lions in a negative light.
The comparison is controversial because it lacks historical and statistical support, which many analysts believe undermines Burrow's accomplishments.
In the last game against the Cleveland Browns, Joe Burrow's team lost 20-18 after the Browns scored a last-second field goal.
Hasselbeck's comments may influence public perception of Burrow's potential and the Bengals' future, suggesting a bleak outlook similar to Stafford's past.
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âThatâs just what itâs starting to feel like to me with Burrowâs era in Cincinnati.â
Itâs clear Hasselbeck doesnât have a lot of faith in the Bengals making the most of Burrow. The comparison to Stafford derives from when the current Los Angeles Rams QB was once the franchise signal-caller for the Lions for over a decade. Stafford was eventually traded to the Rams in 2021, and defeated Cincinnati in his first Super Bowl to cap off his first year away from Detroit.
A great QB held down by an inept organization is what Hasselbeck is getting at. Thereâs certainly evidence to support his feelings regarding the Bengals, but this comparison is, objectively, poorly drawn.
If the goal is winning a Super Bowl, then reaching and winning in the playoffs is pretty damn high on the priorities list.
Stafford never did that with Detroit. The Lions not only had an overall losing record with the reigning MVP under center, they were 0-3 with him in postseason games.
They never made it past the first weekend of the bracket, and were blown out more times than not. Cincinnati has been the exact opposite with Burrow in January.
The Bengals are 5-2 with Burrow in the playoffs, and have made the same number of trips in his first six years as Detroit did during Staffordâs first six seasons. Staffordâs Rams barely squeaked by Cincinnati in Super Bowl LVI, which was Burrowâs first postseason defeat. His second would come at the hands of Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game the following year.
Burrow and the Bengals missing the playoffs the last three years stands out in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately environment. Despite being eliminated in three consecutive years, Burrow is still 9.5 games above .500 as a starter. Stafford was seven games below .500.
Burrow through Year 6:
Stafford through Year 6:
Stafford and Burrow are two different talents at the position, but one of them has been considerably more successfully relative to the other to start his career. The former has experienced significantly more winning since joining his new team, which validates how much the Lions were squandering their window with him.
Cincinnati has had its bumps in the road, but this comparison is just not fair to the club. Burrow has been supported with coaching continuity and a top-tier supporting cast of weapons. There have been roster shortcomings outside of the playmakers on offense, but the two-time Comeback Player of the Year has proven he can win the important games with the Bengals.
For whatever reason, that doesnât matter to Hasselbeck, who won one of his five career starts during his four total seasons in the NFL.
Itâs no secret how Cincinnati gained this reputation. It proves to be mighty difficult for the franchise to escape, and there remains business principles that keep the team from having the same consistent success as other prominent contenders.
This comparison takes that to an inaccurate level, and must be called out for doing so.