Bengals cleared by NFL over Joe Burrow controversy

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks the sideline in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cincinnati Bengals have been cleared by the NFL over a Joe Burrow-related injury controversy.

The Bengals were found to be in full compliance with NFL injury reporting rules ahead of their Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. That means the team will not face any penalties over claims that they hid a wrist injury to Burrow heading into the contest.

Burrow appeared in a team video wearing some sort of wrist sleeve when the Bengals arrived in Baltimore, even though he was not listed on the injury report ahead of the game. Speculation grew that the Bengals might have been hiding something when Burrow suffered what turned out to be a season-ending wrist injury in that week’s game.

After the game, Burrow said he was simply wearing a compression sleeve for the team flight.

The Bengals could have been fined or even stripped of a draft pick if the NFL found that they were hiding a pre-existing injury to Burrow. Ultimately, his explanation seems to have checked out.