NFL World Holds Breath on Joe Burrow
NFL training camps kicked off this week, and Cincinnati Bengals + NFL fans are already dreading the worst regarding Joe Burrow.
The fourth-year quarterback was injured Thursday with a calf injury that remains mysterious in terms of severity as of early Thursday afternoon.
NFL World Holds Breath on Joe Burrow
Bengals reporter Caleb Noe tweeted, “BREAKING: Joe Burrow was just carted to the locker room, after going down on a play during 11-on-11.”
Here’s footage of the ill-fated play:
Cincinnati’s training camp began Wednesday, and fans were scheduled to attend Saturday — much like the Minnesota Vikings schedule. While folks await the status of Burrow’s injury, the Bengals would turn to a couple of former Vikings passers if the worst is confirmed — Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning.
The Bengals drafted Burrow in 2020 on the same night Minnesota selected Justin Jefferson in Round 1. The two were teammates at LSU, and both men have taken the NFL by storm, almost immediately.
Soon after Burrow’s injury, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted, “Bengals coach Zac Taylor tells reporters that QB Joe Burrow suffered a calf strain — which is much better news than several alternatives. Have to imagine this takes him off the field for the preseason. TBD on a timeframe.” But that reporting appeared to be walked back minutes later.
The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov clarified, “Important to note: Bengals HC Zac Taylor never stated that it’s a ‘calf strain’ for Joe Burrow. He simply mentioned it as a ‘calf’ issue, which, unfortunately, leaves the door open to many possibilities. He didn’t have many details as the injury had just happened.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted Burrow’s unfortunate fate in back-to-back seasons as folks await more news on his status, “July 26, 2022: Bengals’ QB Joe Burrow had an appendectomy. July 27, 2023: Burrow carted off the practice field with what Bengals’ HC Zac Taylor called a calf injury.”
Before Thursday, Burrow lived at the top of the NFL per sportsbooks’ MVP odds, sharing a +700 moneyline with Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. That probability has not yet adjusted in light of the injury.
The Bengals reached the Super Bowl in 2021 but fell short to the Los Angles Rams — in Burrow’s second season. Then last year, Cincinnati thoroughly spanked the Buffalo Bills in the AFC’s Divisional Round but fell short to the eventual champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in the AFC Championship.
If Burrow is shelved for a significant period and the Bengals are unenthused by Siemian or Browning at QB1, free agents Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, Joe Flacco, Teddy Bridgewater, Cam Newton, and Chase Daniel are available on the open market.
The Vikings play the Bengals, with or without Burrow, on December 17th at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Burrow ranked sixth in the NFL last year per EPA+CPOE.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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