Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow has been fully cleared for contact according to head coach Zac Taylor after a wrist injury ended his season in 2023, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Zac Taylor just told the #Bengals local media that QB Joe Burrow has been fully cleared for contact
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 22, 2024
Burrow’s 2023 season ended in Week 11 after suffering a torn ligament in his right wrist during a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. While Jake Browning was solid as his replacement, the Bengals went 9-8 and missed the postseason after a Super Bowl appearance in 2021 and an AFC Championship game appearance in 2022.
When healthy, Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in football, although he has thrown 8 interceptions against the Steelers in his career. He is 3-2 against Pittsburgh, and with him healthy, Cincinnati will be one of the biggest threats in the AFC, especially with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at wide receiver.
Burrow said recently that he believes he can be the NFL’s best quarterback, and nothing he’s done on the field so far would prove otherwise if he stays healthy. He was fourth in MVP voting in 2022 and led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl in 2021 while also winning Comeback Player of the Year after returning from a torn ACL in 2020 to throw for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns.
The Bengals also looked to improve their offensive line this offseason, which has been a recurring issue for the team during Burrow’s tenure. Cincinnati drafted OT Amarius Mims in the first round and also signed former New England Patriots OT Trent Brown. Last offseason, the team signed former All-Pro Orlando Brown Jr.
The AFC North is always a difficult division, and Burrow is another elite quarterback the Steelers will have to face twice a year in addition to reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. The wrist injury was the second time that Burrow suffered a season-ending injury, as his rookie season also ended prematurely due to a torn ACL. If he stays healthy though, the Bengals will be a Super Bowl contender once again in 2024.
