Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is listed as questionable on the NFL injury report for Monday’s upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. With kickoff closing in, it appears the Bengals are no closer to making a decision on his status.
Burrow aggravated the calf injury he originally suffered during training camp, which forced him to sit out the entire preseason. He was held out from practice on Wednesday and then recorded ‘limited participation’ sessions on Friday and Saturday before drawing the questionable tag.
- Joe Burrow stats (career): 12,078 passing yards, 84 passing touchdowns, 67.7% completion rate, 99.1 QB rating, 7.5 yards per attempt, 24-19-1 record
Related: NFL coverage map Week 3
Days in advance of Monday’s game, Cincinnati signed quarterback Reid Sinnett and AJ McCarron to the practice squad. In the meantime, backup quarterback Jake Browning has received significantly more reps with the first-team offense in case he is forced to start in Week 3. Meanwhile, there appears to be division within the Bengals’ organization as to whether or not their star quarterback should play this week.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Burrow’s status for Week 3 will be determined in the hours leading up to the Monday Night Football game. As of now, many in the organization are reportedly divided over how to handle Burrow’s injury.
“There are some in the building who want to see Burrow 100 percent fully recovered from his calf injury before he returns to action, but there are others who fear the team’s playoff hopes are on the line and want Burrow in the game.”
Dianna Russini on the Cincinnati Bengals approach to the Joe Burrow injury
- Joe Burrow contract: $19.515 million cap hit in 2023, $29.714 million cap hit in 2024, $46.25 million cap hit in 2025, $48.25 million cap hit in 2026, $52.25 million cap hit in 2028
On the one hand, there’s a strong argument that Cincinnati needs to win on Monday and Burrow is likely their only shot at avoiding a 0-3 start. Notably, only 1-of-99 NFL teams to start a season 0-3 since 2000 has gone on to make the playoffs.
However, allowing Burrow to play through the injury could also have severe consequences. The Pro Bowl quarterback could make things worse, experiencing a setback that forces Cincinnati to place him on injured reserve or even shut him down for the season. Resting Burrow right now offers a clearer path to him playing closer to 100 percent for the remainder of the season.
Just weeks after making Burrow one of the highest-paid players in NFL history, the Bengals may now be forced into sitting him to preserve his long-term health at the expense of an 0-3 record. Considering Browning has only attempted one pass in a regular-season NFL game since entering the league in 2019, it’s also fair to assume the Bengals will be facing more scrutiny for not finding a better backup quarterback this summer after Burrow injured his calf.
