The Cincinnati Bengals received great news about QB Joe Burrow in advance of the NFL regular season.
The entire Cincinnati Bengals fanbase held its breath when Joe Burrow was carted off the field with a right leg injury in late June. It was the absolute worst case scenario for Bengals training camp. For a moment, fans saw the entire season flash before their eyes.
Now, Cincy is getting positive news about Burrow's status in advance of the Bengals' week one showdown with the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 10. In a recent appearance on SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said people around the Bengals expect Burrow to play opening weekend.
"People I've talked to do believe that for Week 1, he'll be ready to go. That it would be hard for him to pass that up, that he's trying to prepare himself to play, but Zac Taylor has said it's probably going to be another several weeks. They're taking this really slowly. It would be at least a mild surprise if he played in some of the preseason action, but we'll see if it shakes out or if that calf perks up. It's a calf strain, it's something that he can manage and he's slowly working his way back. Signs are pointing in the right direction. There's no major setback that I'm aware of."
Joe Burrow expected back for Cincinnati Bengals' opening week
The Bengals will obviously play it safe with Burrow, as the team's aspirations lie far beyond a week one victory. Cincinnati is expected to be in the tight circle of AFC contenders, with Burrow emerging as arguably the second-best QB in all of football behind Patrick Mahomes. His poise, quick-thinking, and accuracy in the pocket is otherworldly, especially when one considers the feeble nature of Cincy's O-line.
Don't expect any preseason snaps for Burrow. Calf strains are tricky. It's not uncommon for players to gut it out, but lingering pain in his back leg won't help Burrow in the pocket. He isn't always keen to scramble, but his ability to navigate pressure and get power behind his downfield throws could be negatively impacted by calf pain.
Cincinnati will enter the 2023 season as heavy favorites in the AFC North. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are lurking, but the Bengals have a deadly arsenal of offensive weapons and a tremendous head coach in Zac Taylor. Cincy should finish with a top-3 seed, with Kansas City and Buffalo stacking up as the obvious challengers to the AFC throne. Burrow has already dethroned the Chiefs in the postseason once before, but last season (very narrowly) went the other direction. Revenge is no doubt on the Bengals' mind.
Burrow finished fourth in MVP voting in 2022. As he gears up for another productive season, he will need every bit of positive injury luck he can get. A wave of despair crashed over the fanbase when Burrow was initially carted off the field. The idea of such a swift return is positively joyous, and Bengals fans will celebrate accordingly. It's too early to proceed with absolute confidence, but Burrow is a tough dude and Cincinnati should expect elite QB play sooner than later.
