Dave Walter

Joe Burrow's a generational talent—literally everything Dave Walter wasn't. Burrow's already thrown for 15,000+ yards with multiple playoff runs; Walter appeared in three games for Cincinnati in 1987, completing 47.6% of his passes for 113 yards total. It's not a comparison so much as a timeline showing how far the position has evolved. Walter was a footnote; Burrow's writing chapters.

No, Dave Walter never made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His three-game NFL career didn't exactly build the résumé Canton looks for—113 passing yards and zero touchdowns don't move the needle. He remains one of those forgettable names in Bengals history, the kind of QB you find in a trivia question, not a bronze bust.

I don't have current information about Dave Walter's 2026 activities in the search results provided. His NFL career ended decades ago in 1987, but without recent reporting on his post-football life—whether he's in business, broadcasting, or charity work—I can't tell you what he's doing now. You might need to dig into local Cincinnati sources or social media for that.

Walter would struggle even more today. His 47.6% completion percentage and 64.2 passer rating were already marginal by 1987 standards. Modern defenses, coverage schemes, and the emphasis on efficiency would expose him instantly. The passing game's evolved so dramatically that his skill set—limited even then—would be completely obsolete against contemporary competition.

Ken Anderson laps Walter repeatedly. Anderson's 39.41 rating absolutely dwarfs Walter's 64.2, and that gap tells the whole story. Anderson was an MVP-caliber talent who actually won games; Walter was a emergency fill-in who threw more incompletions than completions. Both wore Bengals stripes, but Anderson belongs in the conversation about franchise greats. Walter belongs in the footnotes.