CINCINNATI -- When quarterback Joe Burrow was looking for things to do last year during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan had the perfect suggestion.
Watch tape of Peyton Manning.
Manning joined the Denver Broncos during Callahan’s six seasons as an assistant with the franchise. While Burrow prepped for his rookie year from the basement of his childhood home, the 2020 top overall draft pick watched and studied Manning.
Callahan’s time with Manning and Denver didn’t just have a big impact on Cincinnati’s 37-year-old offensive coordinator. That time has also indirectly played a key role in Burrow’s development as he looks to turn the Bengals into a playoff contender.
“The biggest thing that makes it applicable is Joe is very much wired the same way,” Callahan said of Sunday’s trip to Denver to face the Broncos (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS). “And he can handle those things, and he wants to handle those things. It’s not for every quarterback."
Callahan landed with the Broncos in 2010 as a quality control assistant. Manning, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and five-time NFL MVP, arrived in Denver for the 2012 season.
As Manning led the Broncos led to two Super Bowl appearances, including a victory over the Carolina Panthers in 2015, Callahan worked his way up the ranks, eventually becoming the team’s quarterbacks coach. And for the young assistant, it was an education in what it took to play the position at the highest level.
“The ‘no stone unturned’ type of mentality that Peyton had that was required of all of us that were around him,” Callahan said. “I thought that’s been probably the biggest foundation of how to prepare a quarterback how to play in the NFL and what’s required of the staff, what’s required of the quarterback.”
When Callahan had the opportunity to work with Burrow, those experiences proved beneficial. Of course, there was already a strong link between Burrow and Manning.
The Burrows and Mannings got to know each other well as Burrow participated in the Manning Passing Academy before his transcendent 2019 season at LSU. Before the draft, Manning and Burrow shared a conversation that lasted roughly 45 minutes. Burrow took copious notes that he referenced during his rookie season.
And when it came time to watch tape on how to operate as an NFL quarterback, Callahan pulled up Manning’s highlights, helping Burrow work on things such as his vocal command at the line of scrimmage and his pre-snap mechanics. While he didn’t copy and paste anything into his own game, Burrow certainly took notes.
“Every quarterback works on their own game in the offseason and likes to improve what they can do,” Burrow said Wednesday. “But at the end of the day, they're going to play the way that they play and can take concepts and eyes and stuff like that and footwork.”
Burrow is coming off one of his strongest periods of football ahead of the showdown against the Broncos (7-6). In the fourth quarter and overtime of the Bengals' 26-23 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Burrow was a combined 11-of-15 passing for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor, in explaining his regret of not leaning on Burrow more in the loss, gave Burrow some very heady praise.
“You can also put the ball in your quarterback’s hands, because in 15 years we’re going to look back and he’s going to be a Hall of Fame-type of quarterback, and give him a chance to win us the game,” Taylor said Monday.
Burrow is trying to match Manning and lead the Bengals (7-6) into the playoffs in his second NFL season. While Burrow doesn’t check the notes from their 2020 conversation, the two have remained in touch.
“He texted me on Thanksgiving and all that good stuff,” Burrow said Wednesday. “He has been good to me.”
Even though it’s early in Burrow’s career, Callahan can see a lot of similarities between him and Manning. Both are always looking to find the answers to questions presented by defenses and exploit them. Each have raised the level of expectations for everyone around them and set a standard to be met by players and coaches, Callahan said.
And in a decade or so, maybe current Cincinnati coaches are pulling up Burrow film to show their young, aspiring quarterbacks, much like Callahan has done for Burrow with Manning.
“They are very much built the same,” Callahan said. “And hopefully when we look up in 15 years, he’s had the same type of career and the same accolades are dumped all over him.”