Joe Burrow addresses impending return: 'I'm going to give people something to talk about'

Joe Burrow has extra motivation this offseason. During an appearance on Pardon My Take, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback addressed his doubters.

“You don’t play football, people forget about you,” Burrow said. “If you’re not out there and people aren’t watching you, then there’s nothing to talk about. I’m going to give people something to talk about this year. I’m excited about it.”

Burrow’s 2023 campaign was littered with injuries, the first of which occurred before the season began. On July 27, 2023, at the start of training camp, Burrow strained his calf running a simple team drill. He missed the rest of training camp and reaggravated the injury in Week 2 of the regular season.

Only eight weeks later, Burrow tore a ligament in his throwing wrist against the Ravens. The wrist injury required surgery and Burrow’s season came to an end. Burrow ultimately only played 10 games last year, tallying 2,309 passing yards and 15 touchdowns compared to six interceptions.

The 2023 season isn’t the first time Burrow has battled injury. Burrow’s debut campaign with the Bengals came to an early end when he suffered a torn ACL. However, the former LSU standout bounced back the following season, leading the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988.

Joe Burrow just wants to stay healthy

Now, Burrow is determined to make another jaw-dropping comeback. In an interview with Complex Sports, Burrow emphasized the importance of avoiding injuries in the upcoming season.

“Well, No. 1, I want to be on the field for all the games,” Burrow said. “I know I’m going to play well when I’m out there. I’m at that point in my career where I’ve seen enough to know myself that I can go out there and play as well as anybody in the game. 

“The biggest strides this year are going to be my body and learning how to get through the season, get through practices with my body, and feeling in tip-top shape,” he continued. “And so that’s the main focus for the offseason.”

When Burrow has been healthy in the past, he’s been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. In the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Burrow amassed a combined 9,086 passing yards and 69 touchdowns while completing 69.3% of his pass attempts.

Burrow won’t have to wait much longer to make his highly-anticipated return to the field. On Sept. 8, the Bengals will take on the New England Patriots in a season-opening showdown. The game will be broadcast on CBS.