The Cincinnati Bengals Have To Admit Joe Burrow Needs Rest
It's been a difficult start to the 2023 campaign for the Cincinnati Bengals. The teams started 0-2 with losses to two division rivals, the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, star quarterback Joe Burrow has been dealing with a strained calf.
Burrow fought through the pain and led the Bengals to a 19-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, saving the team from a three-loss start.
But does it really make sense for Burrow or the organization to continue risking further injury? Here's why it doesn't and the case for giving Burrow some time off.
Burrow Not Playing Like Burrow
Joe Burrow hasn't looked like himself three weeks into the season, and the injury is to blame.
The 26-year-old first strained his calf in late July and therefore missed much of training camp. That's valuable time when players reform connections from the previous season, hoping to be a 'well-oiled machine' once the regular season starts. Burrow missed most of that.
While he was ready to play in Week One, I'm not sure any Bengals fan would admit the offense has been what we typically expect.
Through three games, Burrow is completing 55.3% of his passes and has only thrown for 563 yards and two touchdowns. When you compare that to last season, Burrow recorded 812 yards, six touchdowns and a passer rating of 64%.
The calf injury impacts his ability to move around and roll out of the pocket, and it shows in the stats. Why not let him sit a week, get healthy and return to the Joe Burrow we all know and love?
Making Matters Worse
The thing that would scare me the most if I were Joe Burrow or the Bengals organization would be the potential of injuring the leg or something else further.
Burrow addressed this concern Monday following the Bengals' first win of the season.
"There is a risk to go out there and potentially re-injure it, but there's also a risk to go out there and be 0-3," the Bengals QB said. "I wanted to be out there for my guys, and I was confident I was going to be able to do what I needed to do to get the win."
While I admire Burrow's determination to play, I'd rather have the star QB sit out for a week, as opposed to missing the entire season if something awful happened.
New Contract
Just as the Chiefs and Lions were about to kick off the 2023 NFL season earlier in the month, news dropped of a brand new contract agreement between Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
The deal was worth $250 million over five years, with a $40 million signing bonus and $219 million guaranteed. That's a lot of money.
Although there's no doubt Burrow deserved a contract of that size, the last thing I would want to do is pay him to be anything less than the spectacular quarterback we know he can be.
Since this isn't a season-ending injury, I'd give him the extra time to heal up so he can play at an elite level for the rest of the season.
Final Thoughts
I understand the urgency of winning when you're 0-2, especially in a competitive AFC. However, there is a soft spot on the schedule here where you could give Burrow some rest.
Cincinnati plays at Tennessee on Sunday and will follow that up with a game in Arizona against the Cardinals. Following the Titans and Cardinals matchups, there are three tough games with the Seahawks, 49ers and Bills. If you're going to have Burrow miss a game, it's probably one of the next two.
It doesn't make sense to risk a further injury to Burrow this early in the season. Give him some time to get healthy so he can return as the quarterback you're paying him to be.
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