Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor insisted there is no update on quarterback Joe Burrow as he recovers from a calf strain.
In a moment that would have scared Bengals fans around the world, Burrow went down with a calf strain early into training camp last month. The star quarterback got carted off the field after suffering the non-contact injury as he grabbed at his lower leg in concerning scenes before he was removed from the session.
Back in his rookie season, Burrow went down with an ACL injury, so there was a haunting sense of deja vu for the Bengals to see their quarterback down and writhing in pain. The day after the injury, Taylor confirmed Burrow would be sidelined for several weeks to deal with the calf issue.
It has now been two weeks since the 26-year-old went down, and Taylor provided a fresh update on Wednesday. When asked about Burrow’s return timeline, Taylor abruptly told reporters: “It will be several weeks from when I said it will be several weeks.”
Taylor first said Burrow would miss ’several weeks’ on July 28, 44 days - or six weeks and two days - from when the Bengals travel to the Cleveland Browns to open the 2023 NFL season on September 10. This means, per his head coach’s timeline, Burrow could be on the field to face his AFC North rivals.
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If Burrow is out, journeyman Trevor Siemian is the top quarterback on the Bengals’ depth chart. While it is unclear when Burrow - who is in negotiations with the organisation over a blockbuster long-term contract - might return, Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase recently declared his quarterback ‘shouldn’t see the field’ during preseason in order to rest his calf.
Chase even suggested missing Week 1 to allow Burrow to return fully fit and ready to go. Speaking to FOX-19 TV in Cincinnati, Chase said: “I just want him to be 100% healthy to play.
“I don’t want him rushing nothing, I don’t want people in his ear telling him to play at a certain time. I just want him to be healthy.”
Joe Burrow suffered the calf strain early into the Cincinnati Bengals' training camp (AP)For all the talk, the Bengals will want Burrow on the field in 2023. He is one of the best quarterbacks in football, and certainly holds the key to the franchise winning its first Super Bowl title in the foreseeable future as he took the Bengals to successive AFC Championship games.
In 2022, Burrow finished in the top five across most major passing categories, placing second in completion percentage (68.3), touchdowns (35) and passing yards per game (279.7). All this earned Burrow - who threw for 4,475 yards - his first Pro Bowl nod and a fourth-place finish in MVP voting, and Cincinnati is expected to reward his play handsomely with an imminent extension that could put him among the highest-paid at his position.
The first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Burrow has starred for the Bengals across his three years in the league. After an ACL injury derailed his rookie campaign, the former LSU star inspired Cincinnati to an unlikely Super Bowl LVI berth, defeating Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Over the last two seasons, Burrow leads the NFL in passer rating (104.8) and his third in the NFL in total touchdown passes (69). If he is not fit, the Bengals will falter. Cincinnati are simply a different beast when the composed, clutch quarterback is available and at his best.
The Bengals open preseason action against the Green Bay Packers on Friday.
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