Joe Burrow plans on complete recovery from wrist injury by May
The Cincinnati Bengals surely missed quarterback Joe Burrow last season after he suffered a season-ending wrist injury versus the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. But on Sunday, Burrow provided an injury update to ESPN regarding the recovery status of his injured right wrist.
Burrow suffered a torn scapholunate ligament on his throwing hand on November 16 which required surgery. But Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback is eyeing a return to action during the teams organized team activities in May.
“I think middle of May is when I am expecting to kind of be cleared for full contact and everything,” Burrow said. “Over the next month [to] month and a half, we’ll kind of decide all those things.”
Burrow also revealed that he’s started throwing small medicine balls as he looks to bounce back from his injury, saying that he usually does not start throwing until OTAs anyway in a typical offseason.
Injuries have unfortunately been a major storyline in Burrow’s four-year NFL career, suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee 10 games into his rookie season with the franchise. This year he only played in 10 games yet again for the Bengals after entering the season with a strained right calf he injured early during training camp. An injury that did not fully health until middle of the season before his year was cut short yet again by his wrist injury.
Injuries aside, Burrow has taken Cincinnati to great heights in his short time with the Bengals. Boasting a 5-2 record in the playoffs in his career after leading the team to an appearance in Super Bowl LVI in 2022. Earning himself a five-year, $275 million contract extension ahead of last season to make him the highest paid quarterback in the NFL.
The Bengals missed out on the playoffs last year after finishing the season 9-8 following two consecutive playoff appearances. With their only two omissions from the postseason in the last four years represented by seasons Burrow hasn’t finished.
But regardless, Burrow also revealed that he believes the franchise still needs to do some work this offseason in order for the Bengals to return to their winning ways.
“We need the guys that we draft to come in and be productive and take on the leadership roles that we’ve lost the last couple of years,” Burrow said. “And we need to bring in the right pieces this offseason too, whether it’s the draft or free agency.
“Like I said, the injuries were what they were last year, but we weren’t good enough in a lot of different places to make a Super Bowl run in my opinion.”
The Bengals have seven picks in the incoming NFL Draft and also still have to make a decision regarding the future of free-agent wide receiver Tee Higgins this offseason. As Burrow will look to hold up his end of the bargain this offseason by returning to full health and keeping it like that for the entire 2024 season.