Burrow Limited With Back Tightness, Insists He'll Play vs Texans — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Joe Burrow was limited at Wednesday's practice with back tightness that surfaced hours after the Bengals' Week 1 win over Tampa Bay, telling reporters he took only "mental reps" during the open session.
- Burrow took a hard hit while scrambling for a first down on a drive that ended with a touchdown pass, the play he traces his soreness to, and said he remains comfortable with that decision in hindsight.
- Burrow dismissed the idea of sitting out against the Texans as a precaution, calling it "ridiculous" and saying, "If I'm not having surgery, I'll be out there."
- Cincinnati faces a Houston defense featuring premier edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., with coach Zac Taylor conceding the Bengals "certainly have our work cut out for us."
- Burrow missed nine games last season with a turf toe injury that landed him on injured reserve for the third time in his seven-year career, a history that frames the Bengals' caution around their franchise quarterback.
- Burrow went 25-of-35 for 254 yards with one touchdown and one pick-six against Tampa Bay, and a win Sunday would give Cincinnati its best start since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2020.
Why it matters: Burrow's availability is the swing variable for a Bengals team trying to end a three-year playoff drought. With Cincinnati's Week 2 opponent boasting two elite edge rushers and Burrow already managing a new injury on top of his career-long injury history, even a limited Sunday could expose the Bengals' franchise QB to further damage.
Ask SkimNews
