Burrow cleared for contact, Bengals coach says

CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow is good to go for training camp.

The Cincinnati Bengals‘ fifth-year quarterback has been fully cleared for contact for the start of camp, coach Zac Taylor said at the team’s annual media luncheon on Monday. Burrow had season-ending wrist surgery last December and has had his usage monitored throughout the team’s offseason program.

The team’s veterans report on Tuesday ahead of the first practice Wednesday. Team president Mike Brown said that he was not concerned about the team’s franchise quarterback after the injury.

“I think he’s ready to go,” Brown said. “I watched him during the offseason and he looked fine. He could throw accurately. He could throw strongly and far. He could do what he had to do in every way. He’s the heart of the team and we rise and fall on Joe.”

Burrow had the scapholunate ligament in his throwing wrist repaired after he was tackled in a Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last season. The injury came three seasons after he ruptured multiple ligaments in his left knee in 2020, his rookie season.

When asked if Burrow will be on a snap count or throwing limit throughout the offseason, Taylor declined to get into specific details. He did say that the team had a plan in place for each of their veterans in hopes of being proactive throughout training camp.

It continues a trend seen throughout the offseason when the team rested him on specific days during organized team activities and the team’s mandatory minicamp. Taylor said the impact of that managed schedule relates to being preemptive for injured players such as Burrow.

“Training camp is long,” Taylor said. “One thing I’ve learned is just be proactive with managing. You’ll never regret being proactive the first week, two weeks of training camp and there’s plenty of reps to go around.”

In Burrow’s final news conference of the offseason, he spoke extensively about managing his body throughout the break between minicamp and training camp and keeping a season-long perspective in the forefront of his mind as he built his schedule. Last year, Burrow suffered a strained right calf on the second day of training camp that he reinjured in Week 2 and the injury lingered for several weeks afterward.

Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, who was promoted this offseason from quarterbacks coach to replace current Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan, said Burrow’s wrist injury shouldn’t have an impact on how the team will approach its scheme in 2024.

“I believe we’ll be able to do everything we want it to do that that’s not going to affect our attack on offense,” Pitcher said.