Joe Burrow makes first appearance at Bengals practice since calf injury
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made an appearance at practice for the first time since injuring his calf on July 27.
Burrow, 26, was spotted wearing a black bucket hat with sunglasses during the Bengals-Packers joint practice on Thursday. The Bengals’ franchise quarterback had a compression sleeve on his injured leg while standing with the quarterbacks for most of practice.
“It's always nice to have his presence out there,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “It's good for guys to see him out. He's been rehabbing quite a bit, he's doing a good job and to have him out at practice is always beneficial. Guys like seeing him too. I think you saw everybody excited to have him out, standing around watching.”
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Where has Joe Burrow been since his injury?
Since the injury occurred, Burrow has stayed away from the practice fields. He appeared to be able to walk without any discomfort which speaks to the improvement he’s made over the last two weeks. Burrow was carted off the field when he suffered the non-contact calf strain and was unable to put any pressure on his leg. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said Burrow needed a scooter to get around at first.
There is no update on Burrow's return timeline.
“The timeline is several weeks from when I said several weeks,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “So, we'll just let that play out.”
Details on Burrow’s calf strain have been kept to a minimum and only the Bengals’ medical staff, Burrow and Taylor know the timeline on when he can return.
Joe Burrow's contract negotiations continue
It’s unclear if and how much Burrow’s ongoing contract negotiations will play a role in when he practices again. Cincinnati’s front office and Burrow’s representation have yet to reach an extension. Although Burrow is under contract for two more seasons, it would be a less than ideal situation for Burrow to play the upcoming season on his current deal.
When Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert reached a five-year extension worth $262.5 million on July 25, all signs pointed to Burrow’s deal being next up. The next day he was carted off the field. The security Burrow will get with his new deal is surely something a player of his caliber would keep in mind in a scenario like this.
The Bengals have reached the AFC championship game two years in a row without having Burrow play a preseason game. Burrow spoke about his excitement for entering a preseason fully healthy with no limitations. Although the concern is minimal because of his track record, it's still an unfortunate situation once again.
"He's an elite competitor so any chance he gets to go against someone else, yeah, I'm sure it's frustrating for him to have to stand and have to watch, but that's what it is and he's going to have to swallow that frustration and he'll be ready for when it's time to be ready," Callahan said.
Taylor says he doesn’t interject when it comes to benchmarks for what he needs to see from Burrow in his return. The organization has a plan for him and everyone is on board with it. There's still plenty of time for Burrow to get back to full strength before the Week 1 opener at the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 10.
“It's comprehensive for what the plan is they have for him,” Taylor said. “Again, I don't interject what benchmarks I want to see from any of our rehab guys. They've been proven that they do an outstanding job with our guys coming off of injury, from Matt Summers to Nick Cosgray, Dan Willen to Joey Boese and Garrett Swanson and Todd Hunt. They do an excellent job of giving these players what they need to come back on the best timeline that's best for the player, No. 1. We're on the same page with all those guys. I trust them. I do not interject.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals QB Joe Burrow at practice after NFL preseason calf injury
