Joe Burrow injury: What are the Bengals options with star QB looking like he may need time to rest up?

Early in the preseason, after Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a calf injury in training camp, his top wideout and LSU BFF, Ja’Marr Chase, declared that he thought Burrow should sit out until Week 5 if he wasn’t 100%.

“I told him that with all honesty I don’t want him there,” Chase said on NFL Network on Aug. 4. “Same thing with me last year. I sat out an extra game just to let my hip all the way heal up, and you don’t want to cause no other problems later on in the season, and I told him as long as you’re there after Week 5 and on, we’re good brother.”

Two weeks into the 2023 season, Chase appears to be on to something. The Bengals are 0-2, and without the ability to put as much of his lower body into this throws, Burrow can’t connect on his patented deep ball. The NFL’s highest-paid player on an annual basis — Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension on Sept. 9 — is 0-for-12 on throws of 15 or more air yards this season. He is 0-for-8 to receiver Tee Higgins, 0-for-3 to Chase and 0-for-1 to tight end Irv Smith Jr. This is unprecedented for Burrow, as he only had one game without a completion of 15 or more air yards in his first 42 career starts. Now, he has done so in consecutive games. Across the last two seasons, Burrow led the NFL with 27 passing touchdowns of 15 or more air yards.

Joe Burrow passing on throws of 15+ air yards (last 3 seasons)

Comp Pct

51% (2nd)

0% (0-12, last in NFL)

TD-INT

27-9* (1st)

0-1 (T-last in NFL)

Passer Rating117.1 (1st)4.9 (30th)

* Most passing touchdowns on throws of 15+ air yards from 2021-22

“Got to get some go routes in there, just get some downfield shots,” Chase said Monday, via Fox 19 in Cincinnati. “That way, we can come back to anything else underneath.”

The Bengals WR1 declined to directly blame Burrow’s calf injury for the lack of deep-ball synergy when asked if that was the reason for the struggles.

“I don’t…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/joe-burrow-injury-what-are-the-bengals-options-with-star-qb-looking-like-he-may-need-time-to-rest-up/

Author : Garrett Podell

Publish date : 2023-09-19 16:37:28

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