Joe Burrow is dealing with back tightness, but Bengals fans shouldn’t panic.
The Cincinnati quarterback told reporters that he should be good to go for Sunday’s game against the Texans despite being limited in Wednesday’s practice.
“It shouldn’t really [matter],” Burrow said. “We get a lot of mental reps. And we walk through a lot of plays. So I’ll be alright.”
He didn’t participate during team stretches and didn’t throw a pass during quarterback drills, according to various reporters in attendance Wednesday, and also appeared to be wearing a brace on his shoulder.
Still, Burrow quickly shut down the idea that his status for Week 2 was in jeopardy.
He went as far as to say that the notion he’d miss Sunday’s game against the Texans out of precaution was “ridiculous.”
“If I’m not getting surgery, I’m going to be out there,” Burrow said.
The three-time Pro Bowler took several hard hits during a physical win over the Buccaneers last Sunday, including one in particular by linebacker Alex Anzalone near the sideline during the first half, but couldn’t pinpoint when the injury happened.
“I don’t know specifically what play,” Burrow said. “I didn’t really start feeling it until after the game. “That’s typically how it happens. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”
Injuries have become an unfortunate theme throughout Burrow’s NFL career.
His rookie season ended after he tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee, and he battled a calf strain early in 2023 before a torn ligament in his throwing wrist ended that season after just 10 games.
Burrow finally stayed healthy for an entire season in 2024, only to go down again in Week 2 last year with a Grade 3 turf toe injury that required surgery and sidelined him for nine games.
If Burrow can’t go, veteran Joe Flacco would step in as the Bengals’ backup.
