Taylor: Bengals QB Joe Burrow to miss ‘several weeks’ [UPDATE]

Update, July 28 — Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Friday that Burrow will miss “several weeks” due to the calf strain he suffered during practice on Thursday.

Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow was carted off the field during practice on Thursday after sustaining an apparent calf injury. Here’s a video of Burrow being carted off the field. It appears that the injury was non-contact, which isn’t a great sign.

Update — Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters after the incident that it’s a calf strain for Burrow, which is good news all things considered. We’ll see if this means Burrow sits out training camp and/or the rest of preseason. Taylor mentions Burrow had calf soreness after the first practice and was still out there, which feels like a mistake.

With the injury being a calf strain, we shouldn’t expect much Burrow until the regular season begins. This shouldn’t impact things all that much so long as he can get healthy, which is more of the issue. Lower-body injuries are tough to shake as a QB and Burrow seems to be susceptible to them. This could lead to a long-term injury down the road. Burrow could also be fine and win MVP. We’re not doctors here at DK Network. Proceed with caution in drafts but also know that Burrow could be fine in a few weeks and back on the field, ready to go.

It could just be as a precaution since it’s training camp and practice, though Burrow did have a sleeve on the same leg. There’s no need to overreact until we have more information but given Burrow’s history with lower-body injuries, this isn’t great news for fantasy football managers and Bengals fans.

Burrow is coming off another stellar season with the Bengals in 2022. Cincinnati was able to make it back to the AFC Championship Game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Cincy finished the season 12-4 and first place in the AFC North division thanks to Burrow, who threw for 4,475 yards and 35 TDs in 16 games, finishing fourth in MVP voting.

Burrow was entering a crucial season with his rookie contract coming to an end. He is set for a big pay day on his next contract but if this injury is serious, it could put a snag into those talks before the 2023 season even starts. Cincy was also favored to win the AFC North division heading into the season on DraftKings Sportsbook. Those odds could shift if this injury to Burrow is serious. Here were the Bengals odds before the injury:

Super Bowl: +1100
Win the AFC: +600
Win AFC North Division: +130
To make playoffs: Yes -370

Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning are the other two QBs on the roster currently. You’d think if Burrow is injured and misses time, Siemian would start, though Cincy could explore outside options at QB to replace Burrow for a season. If that’s the case, it could impact WRs Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd negatively. RB Joe Mixon would sort of stay neutral with a Burrow injury. While you’d think the Bengals lean on the run game, it also stunts the offense if Burrow misses any time.