Joe Burrow Unlikely to Play in Bengals’ Preseason Amid Knee Injury Rehab

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

Although he has been cleared for football activities following a significant knee injury suffered last season, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is not expected to see the field during any of his team’s three preseason contests.

“We probably aren’t going to put him out there until we get to the season because we don’t want to risk anything with him,” Bengals governor Mike Brown said Monday, per ESPN’s Ben Baby. “But his effort rehabbing was A-plus.”

Cincinnati opens its preseason slate against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 14 and will also face the Washington Football Team (Aug. 20) and the Miami Dolphins (Aug. 29).

With Burrow coming off a torn ACL and MCL suffered in Week 11 of his rookie season, it appears that Cincinnati will be doing everything in its power to ensure he will be under center come Week 1. The Bengals will open the regular season at home against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 12.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that Burrow’s knee injury also contained other structural damage and the typical recovery time was nine to 12 months.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Burrow’s surgery in December, previously told Schefter that the Bengals star should be “full go” for Week 1 this season.

Cincinnati’s expectations rest on Burrow staying healthy and developing into the player he was projected to be as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. The 24-year-old was having a terrific rookie season with a 65.3 completion percentage, 2,688 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games before the injury.