When quarterback Joe Burrow went down to the ground during practice on Thursday, the whole of the Cincinnati Bengals organization held its collective breath. In a week of training camps around the NFL that has seen a few injury scares, some more serious than others, it was a moment that nobody wanted to see. “You could hear a pin drop,” cornerback, Cam Taylor-Britt said.
Thankfully the early prognosis was that of a strained calf muscle, an injury that with due care, will be something that is a relief and won’t keep the passer out of action for too long. However, Burrow is somewhat prone to tears and pulls in his legs, and this could be an ongoing concern. Having missed the preseason of the 2022 campaign after going under the surgeon’s knife for an appendectomy, it took a while for him to find his rhythm after a season that saw him lead his team to the Super Bowl.
Joe Burrow pulls up with a lower right leg injury. pic.twitter.com/XTDHwG7klD
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) July 27, 2023
Joe Burrow Leaves Practice After Calf Injury
Protective sleeve
As he entered the field for practice, he was already sporting a protective sleeve over the calf after reporting some soreness from the previous day’s workout. And, as he went through a routine option play, when he scrambled he finished with a limp and sat down, to be eventually carted off the field.
Head Coach Zac Taylor recognized the need for caution, hence the sleeve that was already in place, “I think a lot of guys after the first day had some soreness.”
One of the league’s premier passing talents, Burrow will be looking for a swift return and hope that no effects linger as the Bengals look to get off to a good start in the season opener against division rivals Cleveland Browns on September 10. Defensive end Sam Hubbard had the same injury towards the end of last season and had to miss a week’s action, and even though he admitted he was no expert and the scale of the injury had yet to be determined he could comment on how he had suffered. “They’re really painful.”, he said of calf strains. “They’re not the end of the world, but they do linger a little bit.”
No stranger to injury
Burrow is no stranger to pain and missing games. In his rookie year, he missed the latter part of the season due to a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. His go-to guy on the field, wide receiver Ja ’Marr Chase, was one of the first to talk to Burrow when he went down, “I went over there to talk to him and see how he was feeling. We always give each other that look, that nod. He told me he’s going to be alright. He’s hard-headed sometimes, but he’s a strong dude.” There was no further update late on Thursday, but Taylor suggested that more news would be available on the Friday practice.
Main Image: Kareem Elgazzar/The Cincinnati Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
