Bengals provide update on Joe Burrow injury timeline

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

Joe Burrow avoided the worst-case scenario with his practice injury on Thursday, but there is certainly some murkiness regarding his return timeline.

Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor confirmed Friday that Burrow will miss several weeks after suffering a calf strain during Thursday’s practice. The good news is that Burrow appears set to return early in the season at the very least, but Taylor refused to guarantee that the quarterback would be ready to go for Week 1.

Zac Taylor wouldn’t go as far as to speak on Joe Burrow’s availability for Week 1 in Cleveland and said he will miss “several” weeks

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 28, 2023

Week 1 is roughly six weeks away, so it looks like Burrow will face a race against time to be ready to face the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 10. His preseason is almost certainly over, but a player like Burrow would not have needed that many reps anyway.

Burrow’s injury on Thursday provided quite the scare for the Bengals. It’s not exactly optimal if he misses a week or two of regular season action, but it’s certainly better than the alternative.