Joe Burrow calls sitting out next game ‘ridiculous’© Instagram
Joe Burrow has never been one to sit on the sidelines when he can help it. After Cincinnati’s 33-27 season-opening win over Tampa Bay, the Bengals QB developed back tightness. He was limited in Wednesday’s practice. A reporter asked if there was any part of him that wanted to skip Sunday out of caution. Burrow didn’t even blink. “No,” he said. “That’s ridiculous. I think every game is so important to me. I’m going to do what it takes to be out there.” And then, almost dryly: “If I’m not getting surgery, I’ll be out there.”
Is Joe Burrow putting himself at risk by playing through back tightness?
It’s a fair question. Back injuries in the NFL are notoriously tricky — they can linger, flare up mid-game, and turn a manageable issue into a bigger problem. Burrow himself isn’t entirely sure when the soreness began, only that it crept in during the hours after Sunday’s game. He was sacked just once, but one scramble for a first down late in the drive brought a heavy hit. That play extended the possession and set up a touchdown pass, so Burrow said he had zero regrets. “I was comfortable with it,” he told reporters. “It was either that or kick a field goal. It’s a decision that I made.” He completed 25 of 35 passes for 254 yards in the win, throwing for one score and tossing one interception.
The concern around his back is real, but so is the context. Burrow is 29 and has dealt with a long list of physical setbacks throughout his seven seasons. Last year, a severe turf toe injury in Week 2 put him on injured reserve for the third time in his career. He came back nine weeks later and started the last six games. In 2022, he had an emergency appendectomy before training camp, and was briefly hospitalized. He missed nothing. A year after that, a strained calf in preseason and an aggravated version of it in Week 2 still didn’t cost him a snap. The pattern is consistent: unless he’s physically unable to play, he plays.
Why does Joe Burrow’s injury history matter heading into 2025?
Because the Bengals don’t have an obvious safety net. Cincinnati’s playoff hopes are tightly wound around their quarterback. Burrow’s injury history is long and not exactly reassuring for a franchise that needs him healthy for a full season.
But at the same time, his track record of managing through pain — and actually performing — makes it hard to argue against his approach. He’s earned that credibility. Whether the back holds up is a different matter.
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