Bengals Training Camp Day 3: Joe Burrow's calf strain recovery gets a rough timeline
The third practice of Cincinnati Bengals training camp is in the books, and all eyes and ears are on any and all updates regarding quarterback Joe Burrow's injury. Burrow suffered a calf strain during Thursday's practice. Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters after Friday's session that Burrow's calf strain will force him to miss "several" […]
The third practice of Cincinnati Bengals training camp is in the books, and all eyes and ears are on any and all updates regarding quarterback Joe Burrow's injury. Burrow suffered a calf strain during Thursday's practice.
Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters after Friday's session that Burrow's calf strain will force him to miss "several" weeks. When asked if the recovery would bleed into the regular season, Taylor reiterated that several weeks "means several weeks."
The vagueness of Taylor’s words are by design. Several weeks could mean two, three, or more. A calf strain usually falls under three levels of severity, with the worst (Grade 3) usually requiring months to fully recover. We can safely assume that's not the case with Burrow.
Unfortunately, we simply don't know enough to determine if Burrow will be ready for the start of the regular season yet. Cincinnati's Week 1 game at the Cleveland Browns is just over six weeks away from Friday, so there's ample time for him to recover and practice again.
Outside of an update on the franchise quarterback, Burrow's backup Jake Browning got plenty of reps in with the starting offense. Browning connected with Tyler Boyd for a touchdown in 11-on-11 work for one of many highlights on the day.
Bengals fans will have to get used to watching Browning and fellow reserve Trevor Siemian share reps at quarterback while Burrow recovers. The two will be battling each other up until September to see which one makes the roster as QB2.
Their battle will also open up a spot for another passer. Taylor said that the team will add a quarterback while Burrow recovers.
Cincinnati is currently at 90 rostered players, with three of them on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list. They'll need to make a corresponding roster move to fit another quarterback.
Bengals send funny message to fans after Joe Burrow’s injury
The Cincinnati Bengals sent a funny message to fans after quarterback Joe Burrow’s calf injury
Featured image via © Kareem Elgazzar/The Cincinnati Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
