Burrow out for rest of season with torn wrist ligament
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will miss the remainder of the season due to a right wrist injury that he suffered during Thursday's game against the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Zac Taylor announced Friday.
Burrow has a torn ligament in his wrist that will likely need surgery, Taylor explained, according to Joe Danneman of Fox19.
"It's tough," Burrow said Friday, according to Mike Petraglia of the "Jungle Roar" podcast. "You work so hard for seasons and moments like this. ... But that's part of the game, been through it before, so just gotta grind it out."
Taylor said that Burrow's injury happened on a tackle by Ravens pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney in the second quarter of Cincinnati's 34-20 loss, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Here's the play where Joe Burrow appears to have hurt his wrist after being hit by Jadeveon Clowneypic.twitter.com/OsZ8nvagzE
- Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 17, 2023
Burrow attempted a pass on the next play - a touchdown connection to Joe Mixon - but was visibly in pain. He was taken to the locker room after being unable to throw a football on the sidelines minutes later. The 26-year-old passer said Friday he felt a pop on his pass to Mixon.
Burrow's wrist had already stolen headlines before the game after the team shared a since-deleted video Wednesday that showed the signal-caller - who wasn't listed in the injury report - wearing a sleeve on his throwing hand on the plane during the team's trip to Baltimore. The NFL is investigating why the Bengals didn't report a potential injury before Week 11.
Burrow, however, said his wrist wrap isn't related to his season-ending injury.
"This is a completely different thing," he said, according to Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network. "It's not uncommon for guys to wear compression sleeves on the plane. When you go up to that altitude, things can swell up. This is a completely new injury."
Burrow's absence is a major blow to a Bengals team that reached the AFC title game in each of the last two seasons. The 2020 No. 1 pick led the team to Super Bowl LVI, but Cincinnati fell short against the Los Angeles Rams.
The LSU product completed 66.8% of his passes for 2,309 yards and 15 touchdowns against six interceptions in 10 starts this season. The 2022 Pro Bowler set a career high with 35 TD passes in 16 appearances last season en route to finishing fourth for MVP. Cincinnati signed him to a record five-year, $275-million extension in September.
Burrow has battled multiple injuries since entering the NFL. His rookie campaign was cut short due to a torn ACL. He was then named the 2021 Comeback Player of the Year after leading the league in pass completion percentage. The star passer also missed most of this year's training camp due to a calf strain but was able to return for the regular season.
The loss to Baltimore dropped Cincinnati to 5-5. The Bengals started the campaign 1-3 but won four straight before suffering two consecutive defeats.
With Burrow sidelined, the team will presumably rely on Jake Browning at quarterback. AJ McCarron is also on Cincy's practice squad.
"This season is far from over," Taylor said ahead of his team's Week 12 home meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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