The Cincinnati Bengals have been without their star QB Joe Burrow for a few weeks now as he recovers from a calf injury. But after the Bengals lost their first preseason game of 2023 to the Green Bay Packers on Friday night, fans may be wondering: When will Burrow’s triumphant return?
We don’t have an exact date yet, but we do have a reported time frame: before the first week.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler gave an update on Burrow on SportsCenter Saturday morning, and the Bengals reportedly think he’ll be 100% fit by Week 1.
“People I’ve talked to think he’s going to be ready for the first week. It’s going to be difficult for him to get through that, and he’s trying to get himself ready to play, but Zach Taylor said he’s probably going to be ready,” Fowler said via Bleacher Report. “They’re taking this really slowly. It would be at least a mild surprise if he played in some pre-season events, but we’ll see if he shivers or if this calf works. It’s a calf strain, it’s something he can manage as he slowly works his way back up. The signs point in the right direction. There is no major setback that I am aware of.”
Boro suffered a calf strain on July 27 during training camp. He was running during a play, and then all of a sudden he started jumping on his left leg and sat down on the grass. Eventually he was taken away as a precaution.
Head coach Zack Taylor did not share much information at the time, saying only that Boro had suffered a calf injury and would be out for “several weeks.”
We haven’t had much from Taylor since then, though he did provide an eight-word update on Burrow after the Bengals’ 36-19 preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers Friday night.
“It is progressing as it should. Everything has been positive,” he said. Taylor said.
Ah yes, the head coach’s vague and unhelpful answer, it’s a true classic. The NFL season is almost here.
Since Taylor isn’t any help, let’s check out the tapes and see what Burrow actually looks like. He was on the field before the game against Green Bay and did some running and throwing.
He runs and throws normally, just as he should. That’s good news, even if Taylor won’t discuss it or even confirm that Burrow still has legs.