The Cincinnati Bengals got a bit of a scare earlier this week. The latest regarding quarterback Joe Burrow is greeted with a sign of relief.
The 2023 NFL season kicks off in 40 days when the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Detroit Lions. Andy Reid's team bested the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC title game a season ago, one year after falling to Joe Burrow and company in the conference championship game.
Speaking of the 2022 Pro Bowl signal-caller, he hopped off the practice field on Thursday afternoon and was eventually diagnosed as a calf strain. Bengals' head coach Zac Taylor stated that the three-year pro would miss several weeks. The team's first preseason game is at home on August 11 vs. the Green Bay Packers.
Will Burrow be on the field for the clash with the Commanders? It doesn't appear so via NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
Of course, preseason football is not something the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is familiar with. There was no such thing during his rookie season due to COVID-19. In 2021, he was around for three plays and attempted one pass in the club's last preseason game vs. the Dolphins. A year ago, he missed all three games recovering from an appendectomy.
In 2022, the club got off to an 0-2 start but still rallied to win the AFC North for the second consecutive year, the first time in Bengals' history they captured back-to-back division titles. Then again, the rust was evident last year early on when it came to Burrow.
In the season opener against Pittsburgh, he threw for 338 yards and two scores. However, he served up four interceptions, including a pick-six, lost one of his two fumbles and was sacked seven times in a 23-20 overtime setback.
Just a reminder. There's a long time between now and Taylor's team traveling to Cleveland and the Bengals' season opener against the rival Browns.
