A new update on the ongoing calf issue for Cincinnati Bengals superstar Joe Burrow should have fans of the team worried that there may be a lot more suffering ahead before the team turns things around.
After reaching the AFC Championship game last season, there was a lot of hope and excitement around the Cincinnati Bengals heading into the 2023 NFL season. The franchise has yet to win a Super Bowl, but since quarterback Joe Burrow elevated his game to elite status two years ago, the team has been on the brink of finally breaking that streak.
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However, things got off to a rocky start this summer when the signal caller incurred a calf injury. Understandably, the organization was very cautious with their golden goose and decided to keep him out of all preseason activities and look toward being ready for Week 1 of the season. Unfortunately, the lack of reps resulted in a three-point showing in a surprising season-opening loss to the Cleveland Browns.
But the Bengals offense has not been able to get back on track after Burrow tweaked the injury again in Week 2. While they did score a win the following week, they only mustered 19 points in a victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
After four games Cincy has only averaged 12.3 points per game (second worst in the NFL) and the 2022 MVP candidate has seemed like a shell of himself.
Joe Burrow will remain a shell of himself until fully healthy from calf injury
Well, it seems like that is unlikely to change anytime soon as Burrow continues to attempt to play and rehab the frustrating injury. On Sunday morning, The Athletic’s NFL insider Dianna Russini reported on how the rehabilitation of the injury itself causes initial problems each week for Joe Burrow and the offense.
“My colleague, former QB Chase Daniel, pointed out that another challenge Burrow faces is the time commitment for treatment on the calf. The caretaking requires time away from film work, practice, and even sleep. It all adds up,” Russini wrote.
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However, the most worrisome piece of the report came in one opinion of the QB’s ability to be close to his usual self while battling through the injury, and it seems highly unlikely.
“I asked one league source, “Can he really run and extend plays like he does outside the pocket?” They replied: “Not really.” Despite the improvement, it’s going to be some time before Burrow can truly play like himself.”
– Dianna Russini
Suffice it to say, as long as Burrow’s calf is not fully healthy, he will remain an average quarterback leading an average offense in 2023.