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Ben Child, ESPN employees author
CINCINNATI – Joe Burrow’s season is over.
An MRI revealed that the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback suffered a torn ligament in his proper wrist throughout Thursday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The staff known as the issue an acute damage that doubtless occurred within the second quarter. On the subsequent play, Burrow threw a four-yard landing go in what’s going to doubtless be his ultimate throw of 2023.
“It is powerful,” Burrow mentioned Friday afternoon. “You’re employed so arduous for seasons and moments like this. Each time you get injured and it ends prematurely, it is arduous to cope with it. That is a part of the sport.”
Burrow mentioned he landed on the wrist after being hit by Ravens defensive finish Jadeveon Clowney on a 9-yard play in Baltimore’s crimson zone. On the subsequent play, Burrow was sore after firing the landing go to operating again Joe Mixon.
“I felt a pop in the course of the throw,” Burrow mentioned. “I attempted to provide it an opportunity, but it surely did not work out.”
After initially suspecting it was a severe damage, he acquired affirmation on Friday morning. Jake Browning, the staff’s backup quarterback who closed the sport in Burrow’s absence, would be the starter for the foreseeable future.
On Friday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor mentioned preliminary data exhibits gamers with all these accidents could make a full restoration. Nonetheless, Taylor had no speedy timeline on when Burrow can have surgical procedure or when he would possibly return. Taylor and Burrow mentioned they’re nonetheless gathering extra details about the damage.
That is the second time Burrow has suffered a season-ending damage in his four-year profession. The highest general choose within the 2020 draft had his rookie yr lower brief when he suffered a number of torn ligaments in his left knee throughout a Week 11 loss to Washington.
Taylor mentioned it was unlucky to see a participant like Burrow, who works extraordinarily arduous to make sure he’s as wholesome as attainable on the sector, have to finish one other season early.
“It hurts you to see somebody should undergo this a number of occasions,” Taylor mentioned.
On Wednesday, photographs and movies surfaced of Burrow sporting one thing on his proper wrist previous to the sport in opposition to Baltimore. Certainly one of these was posted by the staff on social media and instantly deleted.
Burrow mentioned it was a compression sleeve, one thing he has worn previously whereas coping with minor points in the course of the season.
“It is common for guys to put on a compression sleeve on an airplane as a result of once you go to that altitude, issues can swell,” Burrow mentioned Friday. “Soccer, you will have quite a lot of bumps and bruises. It is a utterly new damage.”
Nonetheless, in accordance with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL is investigating why Burrow was not listed on the staff’s damage report forward of Thursday’s recreation. Taylor mentioned he had not spoken to the league concerning the subject.
This isn’t the primary time Burrow has been injured this season.
On the second day of coaching camp, Burrow suffered a proper calf pressure that compelled him to overlook a number of weeks. He returned for the beginning of the season, however injured the calf once more in Week 2 in opposition to Baltimore. Nonetheless, regardless of the issue, he didn’t miss a match.
As with the wrist, Burrow was seen sporting a compression sleeve on the calf earlier than happening. Taylor mentioned he noticed no similarities between the conditions.
The Bengals invested in Burrow as their franchise quarterback after he helped them attain the Tremendous Bowl after the 2021 season and the AFC Championship Sport after the 2022 season, the place Cincinnati misplaced each occasions. He acquired a five-year extension value $275 million, with $219.01 million assured. The annual common deal worth of $55 million is an NFL file.
The Bengals (5-5) will flip to Browning as they seem to stay within the postseason hunt after the loss to the Ravens at present leaves them out of the playoff image. Browning was 8 of 14 passing for 68 yards and a late landing with the sport out of attain.
The previous Washington standout has been with Cincinnati because the begin of the 2021 season and received the staff’s backup job in coaching camp in opposition to veteran Trevor Siemian. Browning mentioned he was “disgusted” when he discovered Burrow can be out for the season, however added he was trying ahead to having the ability to present what he’s able to.
“He is clearly a giant a part of this staff,” Browning mentioned. “However I am not going to cover the truth that I am enthusiastic about my alternative. I believe everybody right here, together with Joe, is aware of that.”
The Bengals, who had 12-1 odds to win the Tremendous Bowl earlier than Thursday’s recreation, are 150-1 as of Friday afternoon on ESPN BET.
Burrow mentioned he’ll stay with the staff. As he continues to cope with the tip of his season, Burrow mentioned he will not wallow within the newest damage.
‘There are quite a lot of boys in there [locker] room are harm, obtained harm,” Burrow mentioned.” A number of guys within the league, that is a part of the job we do. [It’s] anticipated. It will not be the final time one thing like this occurs in my profession. That is simply a part of it.”
