Cincinnati Bengals superstar Joe Burrow will not play in either of the team’s final two games on the 2022 preseason schedule.
At the end of July, it was revealed that Burrow would go under the knife and have his appendix removed. Appendectomies are a fairly common procedure and the assumption was that the organization’s franchise quarterback would be back in a week or so. However, as time passed Burrow got no closer to returning from to the field.
It took several weeks before the 25-year-old finally returned to the practice with his teammates as they get ready to attempt a return to the Super Bowl this season. On Wednesday, Burrow revealed that his appendix issue was far more severe than originally thought, and the organ actually burst.
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“It wasn’t normal appendicitis that you hear about,” Burrow told reporters this week. “I didn’t really feel much. Just getting checked out and had some discomfort so we thought we’d get it checked out. Turns out I had [a burst appendix]. So we had to get it fixed.”
Cincinnati Bengals QB will need to regain his strength before making return
Due to the surgery and the follow-up recovery, Burrow admitted this week he lost a good deal of weight and will need time to build his body and strength back up after not having his normal velocity when he returned to drills recently. With his abilities not quite at NFL levels, the young star is now expected to sit out the remaining two games for the Bengals this summer and instead focus on rebuilding his body.
- Joe Burrow stats (2021): 4,611 yards, 34 TD, 14 INT, 108.3 rating
Burrow missing all three preseason games is not the end of the world, especially if he can work with his receivers in training camp drills. However, there are benefits to taking hits from competition that are not looking to keep him healthy. As well as facing defenses with different schemes than what the Bengals run in practice.
It is very possible that Burrow could get off to a slow start in 2022 as he builds his strength and technique back up after his appendectomy.