Joe Burrow says Kansas City Chiefs are the 'gold standard' in the NFL

It's hard not to respect Joe Burrow at this point, but perhaps that's because the sentiment goes both ways. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback has a clear respect and admiration for what the Kansas City Chiefs have been able to accomplish in the last few years.

The Bengals have proven to be one of the very few teams that can give the Chiefs trouble in recent years and that makes for some bad blood between the fan bases of each franchise. However, the enmity between both sides doesn't come without some appreciation, as illustrated by Burrow's recent statements.

Burrow spoke with reporters on Tuesday sdduring a press conference at Paycor Stadium and was asked about the Chiefs and the state of the Bengals' roster after offseason changes.

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback says he's also hoping to be the one to knock the Chiefs off their pedestal.

“Yeah, they were great. Their defense was one of the best in the league. They have great players on that side of the ball. Then, obviously, they’ve got Patrick and Travis and their O-line and those playmakers. They’re the gold standard right now. Everybody’s chasing them. Obviously, they’re back-to-back world champs. Somebody’s got to knock them off, I’m hoping it’s us.”

Burrow and the Bengals have done that before, as the one team to halt the Chiefs' postseason march back in 2021. If not for that slim 27-24 victory, the Chiefs would have represented the AFC in the last five Super Bowls.

The Bengals are 4-3 over the Chiefs since Andy Reid arrived as the Chiefs' head coach. That said, the Chiefs have won the last two games against Cincy and are the ones with successive Super Bowl victories to their credit. At the very least, Burrow knows what's at stake and the amount of effort it takes to go up against K.C.