Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals' 2024 season got off to a rocky start as they suffered a 16-10 loss at home against the New England Patriots. The quarterback was efficient and completed 21 of his 29 pass attempts, but only for 164 yards. He refrained from throwing deep, prompting speculation that he was suffering an injury.
Those suspicions were seemingly confirmed when a clip of Burrow trying to lift a bottle of water went viral. The Bengals star appeared to struggle to pick it up off the ground, causing some to suggest that the season-ending wrist injury he suffered last season hadn't fully healed and that it was limiting his passing range.
Burrow was asked about the viral water bottle video and his injury during his media availability on Wednesday. The quarterback appeared confused and claimed he hadn't seen the video and was not aware of the context. He reassured reporters that his wrist was fine.
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"What did I do? I picked [the water bottle] up weird? I don't know. I drank water. I can't say I've seen that or know what anybody's talking about," Burrow told reporters
Joe Burrow's wrist injury: QB shuts down speculation
The Bengals star was also spotted constantly flexing his wrist, which many concluded was a sign that he wasn't fully healthy. However, Burrow explained that he has been doing it to keep the blood pumping.
"That's part of ligament injuries. If you don't move it, you're going to lose it, so I'm always moving it around, keeping it loose, keeping my mobility the way it's supposed to be, so it's going to continue to happen," Claimed he quarterback.
Burrow added that it was a luxury to be criticized for his Week 1 performance against the Patriots. He said missing seven weeks of action last year was a gnarly experience and that he was excited to be back on the field last Sunday, despite the game not going his and Cincinnati's way.
The quarterback and his team have their work cut out this Week 2 as they'll travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the reigning Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs. While not many have faith that the Bengals could pull off the upset after their underwhelming performance in their season-opener, beating Kansas City on the road could be the shot in the arm the team needs to kickstart their campaign.
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