Vincent Frank
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow aggravated the calf injury he suffered during training camp last week against the Baltimore Ravens.
There had been a ton of questions about Burrow’s status heading into Monday night’s home game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Well, the Bengals have made a final determination. Despite dealing with the calf issue, Burrow is expected to start, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. It seemed to be trending in this direction for some time despite the volatile nature of such an injury.
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Primarily, the Bengals’ status as an 0-2 team likely played a major role in the decision-making process. Only one team since 2002 has earned a spot in the playoffs after starting 0-3.
It’s pretty apparent that Burrow has not been 100% over the first two games of the season. His numbers tell us this story.
Joe Burrow stats (2023): 57% completion, 304 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 70.5 QB rating
Last season saw the newest highest-paid player in the NFL record 35 passing touchdowns with 12 interceptions for a 100.8 QB rating.
It was reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport that Burrow’s calf injury is something he will likely deal with for multiples weeks. This means, he’s still not going to be 100% Monday night against the Rams. There also has to be at least some concern about him suffering a more serious injury to that region of the body.
Remember, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was dealing with a calf injury himself during the preseason. He played Week 1, only to suffer a torn Achilles four snaps into the game. We’re not putting anything out there outside of indicating that these types of injuries are tricky.
There was a split within the organization regarding how to handle Burrow’s injury in the lead up to Monday night’s game.
“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
We will see how it all plays out. Cincinnati did promote Reid Stinnet from the practice squad ahead of Monday’s game to act as QB3 behind Burrow and Jake Browning.
