Torn ACL, MCL, more for Burrow, sources say

Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow injured multiple ligaments in his left knee, sources told ESPN.

An MRI showed Burrow tore his ACL, MCL and suffered other structural issues in his left knee.

Burrow was carted off the field in the third quarter of Sunday’s 20-9 loss at Washington. In a tweet Sunday afternoon, Burrow said “See ya next year,” suggesting his season was done for 2020.

Burrow was at the team facility on Monday according to teammates and appeared to be in good spirits following the season-ending injury. Bengals second-year coach Zac Taylor is expected to meet with reporters around 3 p.m. ET on Monday afternoon.

Burrow suffered the injury after he was sandwiched by two Washington defenders who converged on him on a third-and-2 pass attempt.

The first overall pick in the 2020 draft was on pace to become the first rookie in league history to have six 300-yard passing games in his first 10 appearances. Burrow was 22-of-34 for 203 yards, one touchdown and one lost fumble before he went down in the third quarter.

Cincinnati had hoped Burrow was the franchise’s next cornerstone quarterback when the Bengals selected the southeast Ohio product with the top overall pick in April’s draft. Almost as soon as Burrow officially arrived in Cincinnati, it was clear he was going to be the team’s Week 1 starter as a rookie. The Bengals released veteran Andy Dalton, the team’s second-round pick in the 2011 draft, and didn’t add another veteran quarterback to the 53-man roster.

In his first 10 games, the rookie showed why he represents so much hope for a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since January 1991. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Burrow ranks fourth in NFL history for the most passing yards in a player’s first 10 games (2,688 yards, including his total from Sunday’s game). At the halfway mark of the season, Burrow was on pace to break Andrew Luck’s record for most passing yards as a rookie (4,374).