Getty Bengals QB Joe Burrow had to be carted off the field after suffering a calf strain.
The collective hearts of the Cincinnati Bengals organization and their entire fanbase likely skipped a beat or two when news broke and video surfaced of franchise quarterback Joe Burrow going down in at practice during the team’s second day of training camp on July 27, 2023.
Here is the play on which Bengals’ QB Joe Burrow suffered what head coach Zac Taylor called a calf injury:
The former No. 1 overall pick and Pro Bowl signal caller of the two-time defending AFC North champions had to be carted off the field in what was a scary sight as his teammates looked on.
After the outside world and media feared and speculated the worst, following practice Bengals head coach Zac Taylor put many minds at somewhat ease when he told reporters that Burrow suffered a calf strain while scrambling out of the pocket.
“I think a lot of guys after the first day had some soreness,” Taylor said.
Burrow had already been wearing a wrap on his calf which caused him to go down and leave the practice field. One of his teammates who is recently familiar with this exact injury is defensive end Sam Hubbard who missed a game last season with a medial calf strain.
“I know about calf strains all too well. They’re really painful. They’re not the end of the world, but they do linger a little bit,” Hubbard said via the team website. “I think he and the training staff will do the right thing to take care of this in training camp and be ready to go.”
Burrow Might Reconsider Not Being in a Rush to Sign Extension
The latest quarterback mega-contract was handed out on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, when the Los Angeles Chargers inked Justin Herbert to a record-setting five-year contract worth $262.5 million. Just one day before he went down with his injury, he was asked by a reporter when he thinks that his long-term extension with the team, which is expected top Herbert’s, will get done.
“It gets done when it gets done,” Burrow said Wednesday, July 26, 2023. “We’ll see.”
Joe Burrow speaks to the media.
He might have a renewed perspective even if this strain only results in him being out less than a week or two. The 26-year-old has repeatedly expressed his desire to sign a deal that would allow the team to keep as much essential talent as possible, namely fourth-year wide receiver Tee Higgins.
“I’m focused on getting a deal done that’s good for us, good for me, good for the team, good for everybody,” Burrow said. “When you keep guys together for a long time, they build a rapport and they build chemistry, and that translates onto the field. That’s obviously the goal.”
In that same media session, Burrow ironically expressed his excitement to finally get a chance to tune up his skills with more extension live action during the preseason after having hardly any in his first three years combined.
There was no preseason during his rookie year in 2020, he received just three reps the following year because he was coming off a torn ACL, and last year he missed the entire preseason after he had to undergo an appendectomy.
“I know I’m going to be able to get a lot more out of this training camp than I have the last couple, as long as stay healthy, which like I said, ‘knock on wood.’ Nothing’s happened yet,” Burrow said. “The more reps you get at the position, the more game speed reps, the better you’re going to be when it comes Week 1. I’ve grinded all offseason and I’m in a great spot physically and mentally. So, I’m ready to attack this training camp with intensity and shoot for perfection. That’s what I’m excited about.”
Joe Burrow told reporters yesterday he was looking forward to extended preseason action for the first time:
2020: COVID, no games
2021: Returning from ACL, 3 snaps
2022: Appendix rupture, no action
2023: Calf strain, ???
Even if Burrow recovers from this later setback quickly or in enough time to get in some action during the preseason, the likelihood of him seeing the field for an exhibition contest given what is at stake for himself and the franchise is very low or not next to none.
Bengals Veteran Defender Also Got Carted Off the Field
Unfortunately, Burrow wasn’t the only Bengals player that didn’t leave practice under their power. Multiple reporters witnessed defensive end Tarell Bashman go down with an apparent leg injury and needed to be helped by trainers.
Tarell Basham limps off favoring right leg.
According to Kelsey Conway of the Enquirer, Bashem eventually got carted off the field with training staff still examining his injured leg that he wasn’t able to put a lot of weight on.
The Bengals signed the six-year veteran to a one-year deal earlier this offseason on April 5, 2023, with the hope that he’d add more depth and juice to their pass rush. He has proven that he can be a solid rotational player behind some established edge defenders and is just a year removed from recorded back-to-back seasons of 3.5 sacks according to Pro Football Reference.
A little taste of what @TarellBasham brings to the table 😏
More highlights on t.co/KpeqK4RKUm
Thankfully, the team still has talented depth behind starters Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson with rookie first-rounder Myles Murphy, 2021 third-rounder Joseph Ossai, and 2021 fourth-rounder Cameron Sample.
There are also several proven veteran free-agent pass rushers still available on the open market but the Bengals might not dip a toe into that pond until Burrow is locked up long-term.