Accepting Football Mortality, Joe Burrow Declared “Injury-Prone,” Cincinnati Bengals Told to Learn From Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs

Joe Burrow and his injury-laden last season is no news in the NFL town! Former LSU Heisman-winning quarterback entered the league with some high hopes when he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020. Although he has lived up to that hype, one major issue keeps disturbing him and his NFL career – his unprecedented injuries, as pointed out by Chris Broussard on First Things First!

In a recent episode of the show, Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes reacted to Joe Burrow’s recent “football mortality” remark. Chris Broussard discussed Burrow’s tendency to get injured, calling him “injury-prone.” He highlighted that over four years, Burrow has missed 13 games and has only been fully healthy for two of those seasons. His recent injuries include a practice-related injury and a wrist injury during a game.

These remarks have been shot in the light of the press conference where Burrow remarked, “Whenever the injuries start to stack up, your football mortality kind of comes into the back of your mind. So that’s definitely something I’ve thought about and something I have had to fight through.” Last season, the torn ligaments in his right wrist prematurely ended his 2023 hopes.

However, he has been recovering from it; this injury has made Burrow reflect on his career and condition. While the analyst believed that Burrow, a great quarterback, needs to prove he can stay healthy, Wright voiced that the Bengals should acknowledge his injury-prone nature and adjust their treatment of him accordingly. For example, he criticized the Bengals for not being cautious enough during training camp when Burrow had a calf issue and for not properly addressing his wrist injury. He compared this to how other teams handle their quarterbacks, especially the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes.

Wright said, “Patrick Mahomes got hurt in the flakiest way imaginable on a play that is Run a thousand times a season by every quarterback over the course of history….and always succeeded on it…..Patrick Mahomes is not injury-prone, that’s the only time he’s ever missed games in his career. Now he’s had a sprained ankle, he played through, but he is the opposite of injury-prone. Tua [Tagovailoa] obviously has injury concerns. The Dolphins had a whole program in place…”

Hence, in short, the analysts suggested that the Bengals should adopt a more cautious approach with Burrow, treating him as a valuable asset. However, despite the adversity, the QB seems ready to start off the season once again and lead his team to powerful success.

Joe Burrow reveals his attacking plan for the upcoming season!

Joe Burrow didn’t specify how healthy he is right now, but he plans to be ready for this season. However, the quarterback did make a concerning statement that he isn’t rushing his recovery. And there’s a reason for that.

Burrow explained, “That’s something we’re being more proactive about this year. We don’t have to be ready to go in the middle of June. We have to be ready to go early September through February. That’s how we’re attacking this offseason and this rehab plan and these practices and training camp. We’re attacking it like I want to be out there playing in February.”

There is no doubt that Burrow is among the best quarterbacks in the league. He was the one who ended the team’s long playoff drought and nearly took them to the Super Bowl in 2021. However, unfortunately, staying healthy has been a challenge for him. Talking about his injury history, Burrow first fractured his wrist on August 14, 2017, and later had to undergo an operation to repair it.

Then during his redshirt senior season, he sustained torn rib cartilage on January 16, 2020. Then on November 22, the same year, he suffered knee ACL tear grade 3, knee MCL tear grade 3, knee PCL tear grade 3, and knee meniscus tear. On December 5, the next year, in a Week 13 game, he dislocated his pinkie finger. He again suffered knee injuries – strain grade 1 and MCL sprain grade 2 – in a Week 17 game on January 2, 2022, and in Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, respectively.

In 2023, Borrow faced another hindrance. On July 27, 2023, he sustained a calf strain on his right leg during practice, and on November 16, 2023, he suffered a torn wrist ligament. However, these violent hurdles haven’t stopped the QB from voicing his determination. He is again getting up for another battle, one aiming to conquer the field and fans.