Peyton Manning Speaks With Joe Burrow About Rookie Year Expectations

NFL Legend Peyton Manning has been in contact with presumptive first-overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Joe Burrow. Manning expects hurdles in his rookie year but says that what rookie years are for.

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“He called me about some of the things that I tried to do as a rookie that maybe he can apply to his NFL career,” Manning told ESPN. “Looks like it’s going to be for the Cincinnati Bengals. What I told him, ‘Look, Joe, if you’re the first pick in the NFL draft, you are going to a team that has earned the first pick in the NFL draft. There are going to be some holes there. There’s a reason the Colts were picking No. 1 that year. There’s a reason the Bengals are picking No. 1 this year.'”

Burrow attended Manning’s training camp last year and the two have been in contact since.

Manning says Burrow will learn from early mistakes and build on them going forward with his career. 

“[Then-Colts coach] Jim Mora never took me out,” Manning said. “I learned some things in the fourth quarter of those blowouts about what it took to be an NFL quarterback, and the next year we went from 3-13 to 13-3. That wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t have hung in there and learned the ropes as a rookie, even though we took some bumps and bruises.

“So that’s what I tried to encourage Joe and all the other rookie quarterbacks, that your rookie year is not going to be the same as your senior year in college. But if you learn how fast the defensive backs are, how soon you have to get rid of the ball, understand defenses, you can become a better player and really get it going the year or two after that.”

Manning threw an NFL record 28 interceptions his first year.

The NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on April 23.

[Via]