Fox Sports’ Tom Brady was asked to name his MVP favorite through the first eight weeks of the season, and the seven-time Super Bowl champion named a few quarterbacks, including Josh Allen, Brock Purdy, and Jared Goff.

However, for several Cincinnati Bengals fans, there was one rather noticeable omission: Joe Burrow. The Bengals quarterback leads the NFL in touchdown passes and has his team at 5-2, but some supporters believe Brady has repeatedly overlooked him when discussing the league’s best quarterbacks.

Tom Brady Names 4 MVP Candidates Through Week 8 but Leaves Out Joe Burrow

Brady opened with a disclaimer before naming anyone. “There’s nothing I like less than trying to figure out who’s the MVP, not even halfway through the season,” he said.

Allen came first, followed by Purdy, Goff, and Jahmyr Gibbs, the only non-quarterback in the group.

Purdy’s 49ers are 6-1 and first in the NFC West, while Allen paired 11 touchdown passes with nine rushing touchdowns, second-most in the NFL; Goff has 15 touchdown passes against one interception.

Gibbs is the NFL’s No. 2 rusher with 773 yards, and ran for 153 in Detroit’s Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

So where does that leave Burrow? He leads the NFL with 20 touchdown passes, five more than Purdy or Goff, and ranks at the top of Pro Football Network’s NFL QB Impact Score with a grade of 88.3 through eight weeks.

His 73% completion rate is first among 31 qualified quarterbacks, and his 111.6 passer rating ranks second of 31, just ahead of Purdy at 110.1 and Goff at 110, though his six interceptions are five more than Goff has thrown.

Bengals fans keyed on the omission. “He never ever gives him his flowers, never in his top QB rankings,” one fan wrote, asking what Brady’s issue was with Burrow.

Another fan raised the same complaint and said that “for some reason, he can’t give Burrow his props.”

Another fan concluded that it was because the New England Patriots legend was insecure: “Tom Brady has a weird anti-Burrow thing going on and it reeks of insecurity.”

While Brady didn’t have Burrow on his MVP shortlist heading into Week 9, he has praised the Bengals quarterback on the record before.

In 2022, Brady told the Bengals star on the “Let’s Go!” podcast what he liked in the QB’s play. “I think what I love about Joe’s game is… He gets knocked down, he gets up, and he’s ready for the next play. I think the team gains a lot of confidence in that because the team needs to know that the quarterback is going to be there week in and week out.”

Tom Brady and Joe Burrow Have Drawn Comparisons Before

Others framed the omission around the comparisons between the two quarterbacks. “Brady never mentions Burrow because he hates that people see Burrow as the closest thing to him as a passer,” one fan wrote in an accusatory tone.

Another fan brought up the comparisons, too, and noted a loss Burrow inflicted on Brady’s before his retirement: “Brady is petty (one of the reasons he was great) the comparisons and L he took to Burrow will forever keep him salty.”

That loss came on Dec. 18, 2022, in Tampa. Brady’s Buccaneers led 17-0 late in the second quarter before Cincinnati scored the next 34 points, with Brady turning the ball over on four straight second-half possessions on two interceptions and two lost fumbles. Burrow finished 27-of-39 for 200 yards and four touchdowns in the 34-23 win.

That was also another fan’s case about Burrow ending Brady’s perfect record in home games where he had led by 17 or more points at any point. “Brady lost his perfect 89-0, 17-point lead streak to Burrow. Never beat Burrow. Then Burrow is the closest thing we have to Brady. He can’t stand it, so he won’t give Burrow any credit.”

Burrow carries the NFL lead in touchdown passes into Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid.