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The Cincinnati Bengals avoided a major injury scary during training camp, when starting quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a calf injury in a non-contact play, but there was nothing more serious such as an Achilles injury.
Burrow, a former first-overall pick, had already suffered a torn ACL back in 2020, and an Achilles injury would mean that he would miss the entire 2023 season in a year where anything less than a Super Bowl berth for the Bengals would be considered a failure.
But the prognosis is getting better every day. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported out of Cincinnati's training camp that the current expectation has Burrow on track to play against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1:
I do not believe, based on the information I have, that he's in danger of missing Week 1. And when I was out there in Cincinnati, that was certainly the vibe, so I don't believe it. It doesn't sound like Ja'Marr Chase's words are going to, sort of, live on past this. But the sentiment remains: he needs to be healthy for the long haul, rather than just Week 1.
Joe Burrow's injury history
Apart from his awful knee injury suffered in 2020, he has been a healthy quarterback for most of his career.
His knee was battered during his rookie season during a game against the Washington Commanders. Not only he tore his ACL, but Burrow also tore his MCL and his PCL and suffered damage to his meniscus, putting together an impressive comeback in 2021 when he was elected Comeback Player of the Year.
He suffered a mild MCL sprain during the final minutes of Super Bowl LVI, but it didn't affect his performance. There were no reported injuries for the Bengals superstar during the 2022 season.
The calf injury has sidelined him for several weeks, but it was the best Cincinnati could've asked for after early reports of a non-contact injury created panic among the fanbase. While missing training camp time isn't ideal, it's always better than missing games, especially since the team is extremely dependent on him to compete this season.
