Bengals’ Joe Burrow Is ‘Confident’ He’s ‘Put All the Work in’ to Rehab Injuries

Adam WellsApril 13, 2024

Rob Carr/Getty Images

After injuries limited him to just 10 games last season, Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow is optimistic things will be better for him in 2024.

Speaking to Geoff Hobson of the team’s official website, Burrow said he’s “confident” he has “put all the work in I need to make sure I’m healthy” for next season.

“I’m continuing year-to-year to better hone that and make that more efficient,” he added. “Maybe listen to my body a little more throughout the offseason and not push through things that maybe I have in the past. I’m just starting to learn my body more and more.”

Burrow was limited to start last season after suffering a calf strain on the first day of training camp. He aggravated the injury during Cincinnati’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2.

Going into Week 5, Burrow admitted the injury was still impacting his ability to move in the pocket and run around to create extra time for throws.

Kelsey Conway @KelseyLConwayI asked Joe Burrow where the calf issue is affecting his game most, whether it be planting his foot to throw, etc:

“My ability to throw hasn’t been effected. Mainly my ability to move in the pocket, run for first downs, extend plays, find that extra second.”

There you go.

The only time Burrow looked like his usual self was for a two-game stretch in Weeks 8-9. He threw for 631 yards with five touchdowns, no interceptions and completed 77.6 percent of his attempts in wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills.

Burrow’s season ended in Week 11 when he suffered a wrist injury in the first half of a loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He was diagnosed with a torn ligament that required surgery.

This was the second time in four years that Burrow has suffered a season-ending injury. He tore his ACL, MCL and sustained other damage to his left knee as a rookie in 2020.

Burrow told ESPN’s Ben Baby last month he expects to be cleared for full contact in May.

The Bengals still finished a respectable 9-8 despite not having their star quarterback for seven games, but they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They have finished with winning records in three consecutive seasons for the first time since doing it five times from 2011 to ’15.

A healthy Burrow will almost certainly have the Bengals back among the elite teams in the AFC. They need him at full strength if they want to compete in a division that sent three teams to the playoffs last season.

Burrow led the NFL in completion percentage (69.3), ranked third in passing touchdowns (69) and fourth in passing yards (9,086) from 2021 to ’22. The Bengals reached the AFC Championship game in both seasons, with an appearance in Super Bowl 56 in February 2022.