The Cincinnati Bengals have made the Super Bowl and AFC Championship game the last two seasons, as Joe Burrow’s emergence at quarterback has allowed them to take a leap into being a perennial contender in the AFC. Burrow has thrown for over 9,000 yards in the last two seasons, with 69 touchdowns to just 26 interceptions, cementing his place as one of the NFL’s brightest young stars.
Coming into the 2023 season, expectations are once again high in Cincinnati, largely due to Burrow’s presence under center. However, as has become an all-too-familiar sight at the start of training camp this year, Burrow is the latest high profile player to suffer an injury, this time to his lower right leg as he pulled up scrambling to his right and went down.
Joe Burrow pulls up with a lower right leg injury. pic.twitter.com/XTDHwG7klD
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) July 27, 2023
Shortly after, the injury cart was brought out for Burrow who didn’t seem to be putting much if any weight on that right leg as he hopped onto the cart.
Here is the cart coming out for Joe Burrow.
Massive news pic.twitter.com/zbHB6cJbhb
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 27, 2023
It is incredibly unfortunate to see Burrow leaving practice this way, but it does come with the caveat that at training camp guys are much more likely to get carted off for a lesser injury than in a game. That’s both out of precaution and also because getting to the training room at many camps requires a much farther walk than at a stadium or practice facility. Hopefully this is one of those cases and this is a cramp or a muscle tweak and not something worse, but Bengals fans will be holding their breath until we get official word on the severity of Burrow’s injury and a potential timeline for his return.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor called it a “calf issue” in his talk with reporters after practice.
Zac Taylor says it was a calf issue for Burrow. They’ll know more soon.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) July 27, 2023
Zac Taylor confirms it is Joe Burrow’s calf that was injured #Bengals pic.twitter.com/U3pLx9s08S
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 27, 2023