Joe Burrow finished the Bengals’ Week 2 game with soreness in his calf after reaggravating the injury he suffered in July. As a result, missed regular season time could now be in the cards. 
Head coach Zac Taylor told the media it is currently “hard to say” if Burrow will be able to suit up for Cincinnati’s Week 3 game against the Rams. That contest will take place on Monday night, giving the team’s franchise signal-caller an extra day to rest. Still, much will depend on Burrow’s ability to manage the strain which cost him the entire preseason and briefly threatened to keep him out for Week 1.
“First of all we have to hear what the doctors have to say before we start to assume anything,” Taylor said of Burrow (who would have continued playing in the closing moments of Sunday’s contest had he needed to), via ESPN’s Ben Baby. “Once we get that information, we have those [conversations], figure out what we’re going to do.”
Burrow and the Bengals’ offense have struggled to begin they year, with the injury likely to blame for at least some of the team’s 0-2 record out of the gate. Given the ground the defending AFC North champions have already lost in the division with losses to the Browns and Ravens, however, signficant urgency exists in the immediate future for Cincinnati. Having Burrow in place would obviously represent the preferred situation to former UDFA Jake Browning being called upon.
On the other hand, Burrow’s five-year, $275MM extension gives the Bengals plenty of cause to proceed cautiously with their franchise cornerstone. A brief absence would give him extra time to heal, though he has previously admitted to the strain being something which will require pain management throughout the campaign. Plenty of attention will be focused on his ability to participate in practice in the coming days.
If Burrow were to end up missing game action, the Bengals would rely on Browning (who attempted one pass in Week 1 after relieving Burrow in the team’s lopsided Week 1 defeat) and Will Grier, who joined the team after roster cutdowns in part due to the chance offered of a backup role given the free agent departure of Brandon Allen. Neither passer would offer anywhere near the upside of Burrow, of course, so such a scenario is one the team will aim to avoid.
calling it now, if burrow plays on week 3, hes gonna get hurt, Monday night curse
If he’s able to walk he will play because it’s Monday night. Burrow isn’t the kind of guy to sit out because he’s got an ingrown toenail. I hope Grier gets the start over Browning. Browning looks lost on the field.
I imagine the coaches will have something to say about that if he risks worsening an injury. The season is more important than the next game or two…
Sometimes, you gotta protect the player from themselves.
He shouldn’t have been playing (clearly).
The Bills have to put the clamps in Von Miller – and it sucks. But he is an older player and the team will be glad they did in playoff time.
So this injury is like an ingrown toenail. Tell that to all the QBs who have suffered a calf strain, tried to play with it and torn a season ending Achilles injury.
Can you actually read and comprehend the things you read? Or are you just a troll? If you can’t understand I will break it down for you. So many of today’s players sit out because they have tiny insignificant injuries (ie: ingrown toenails). Joe Burrow isn’t one of those guys. There you go. Feel better now? I hope so.
I think he read it right but you didn’t write it right. You pretty much compared Burrow’s calf strain to an ingrown toenail
Burrow ISN’T the guy who will sit out because he’s got an ingrown toenail. Hard to understand? Half of the QB’s in the NFL sit out because their hair hurts. Burrow on the other hand will be out there with his arm in a cast and two leg braces. In other words he’s tough and not a quitter Never compared a calf strain to an ingrown toenail.
Does Burrow have an ingrown toenail? Name a quarterback that has sat out because of an ingrown toenail. Sounds like you’re just making up stuff
A strained calf can turn into a torn Achilles tendon if mismanaged. Dude should sit out a game and reassess.
It’s probably going to be more than just a game. He hurt this in July and it was a month before he started practicing. You gotta believe he stayed off of it as much as he could and got around the clock treatment and he still wasn’t healthy for week 1. He doesn’t move around in the pocket. He’s throwing short and getting rid of the ball in 2.2 seconds. Defenses will adjust to that
Starting to think this was never a strain, but a tear. Strains don’t take months to heal.