UPDATE, 3:25 p.m.: According to Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who spoke to the media Monday following the 27-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week Two, it is “hard to say” if Burrow will be ready to play Monday night in Week Three against the Los Angeles Rams after tweaking his calf injury again late on Sunday.
Taylor added, according to a tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that the Bengals are still in the evaluation process with Burrow, and that his star quarterback is a bit “sore” Monday.
The Cincinnati Bengals are in an 0-2 hole and might not have franchise QB Joe Burrow to dig out of it in Week Three. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter Monday, Burrow’s status for the team’s Week Three game Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams is in question. After losing to the Baltimore Ravens yesterday, Burrow admitted he tweaked the calf injury he suffered in training camp that caused him to miss the entire preseason.
Schefter appeared on The Pat McAfee Show Monday and explained the situation.
“He tweaked it yesterday,” Schefter told the show. “I think it’s fair to wonder if he’ll be ready for a week from Monday night against the [Rams].”
Schefter said the team will see how Burrow’s calf responds throughout the week but called it a “not ideal situation.”
Burrow and the Bengals’ offense have struggled through the first two weeks. They had a miserable opener against the Cleveland Browns, falling 24-3 in a game in which Burrow threw for only 82 yards and zero touchdowns. Yesterday, Burrow tossed a pair of touchdowns, but the Bengals offense was in catch-up mode throughout and suffered their second defeat, 27-24, to the Baltimore Ravens. Burrow looked hobbled at the end of the game and struggled to move around.
If he can’t play, the team will turn to QB Jake Browning. Undrafted out of Washington in 2019, he spent time with the Minnesota Vikings before signing with the Bengals in 2021. Previously, he had served on the team’s practice squad or as its third-string quarterback before nailing down the backup job this summer. He’s only thrown one career NFL pass, doing so at the end of the team’s Week One loss to the Browns.
Last year, the Bengals started the year 0-2 before turning their season around and winning the AFC North with a 12-4 record. While they’re in the same spot now, the offense looks far worse and the situation much bleaker. A loss to the Rams could derail their season before the first quarter of it even ends, which would bode well for a Steelers team trying to find traction in the AFC North. Of course, they have to take care of business tonight against the Browns.
