Joe Burrow injury update: Ex-NFL doctor says Bengals QB dodged worst-case-scenario injury
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow avoided a major injury on Thursday during one of the Bengals' training camp practices. The quarterback left the field with an injury and was carted to the locker room, but it was later revealed by head coach Zac Taylor that Burrow suffered a calf injury.
It's unclear how much time he will miss or how severe the injury was, but the worst-case scenario, which involved an Achilles injury, was avoided.
By distanced video, appears to be right calf muscle strain. Doesn't appear to be Achilles. This is the non ACL side. Could miss significant training camp time and gastroc strains do linger. twitter.com/CalebNoeTV/sta…
Former NFL doctor David Chao tweeted that the injury occurred on the "non-ACL side."
"By distanced video, appears to be right calf muscle strain. Doesn't appear to be Achilles. This is the non ACL side. Could miss significant training camp time and gastroc strains do linger."
Missing training camp would not be the ideal scenario for any player, but it's preferable to missing the whole season, which is what would've happened to the quarterback if it was an Achilles injury or, even worse, a torn ACL.
A closer look at what happened shows that Burrow stepped up and made a pump fake before taking off to his right. He instantly went with his right leg in the air and the play was stopped as he fell to the ground:
@ProFootballDoc @wendellfp And does seeing a closer view of the play help you decipher anything more? pic.twitter.com/v1AsBqrVjM
Burrow is set to sign a new contract with the Bengals soon. The baseline for the deal is set to be $53 million per year, which would make him the highest-ever paid quarterback in the league, taking over from Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers who recently signed for $52.5 million.
Joe Burrow's ACL injury happened in his left knee
One of the biggest concerns that popped up was if the injury was in his left knee, where he suffered an ACL tear three years ago.
During Week 11 of the 2020 season, when the quarterback was still a rookie, he went down after a low hit and tore multiple ligaments in his left knee, prematurely ending his season.
He fully recovered for 2021 and led the Bengals to a surprise AFC Championship Game appearance. He orchestrated an 18-point comeback away from home against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs before losing Super Bowl LVI.
When will Joe Burrow return from injury?
As per Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, Joe Burrow has suffered a calf strain and will be sidelined for 'several weeks'.
#Bengals coach Zac Taylor on Joe Burrow: Calf strain. It’ll take several weeks. pic.twitter.com/QlZL5AjB8P