Report: Bengals HC Zac Taylor gives update on Joe Burrow status for Monday Night Football

The Bengals are pushing their quarterback decision to the last minute. Before the Bengals’ Monday night matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge provided an update on Joe Burrow from head coach Zac Taylor.

“Just spoke to [Bengals] HC Zac Taylor and asked about the status of QB Joe Burrow tonight,” Rutledge wrote on Twitter. “He said ‘we aren’t ready to reveal a decision just yet and will wait a couple more hours before we make a call.'”

Burrow is questionable after re-aggravating his calf in Cincinnati’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. The former LSU standout strained the calf during fall training camp and sat out during the preseason. The injury was obviously bothering Burrow last Sunday.

The Ohio native didn’t look like himself in his first two outings this season, completing 41 of 72 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception. Further, Burrow’s ground game is essentially non-existent, recording just four rushing yards between the two losses.

With or without Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals will square off against the Rams at 8:15 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Fellow players weigh in on Joe Burrow

Reports claim Burrow is hopeful to suit up for the primetime game. His opponents don’t doubt him. Earlier this week, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald predicted Burrow would play in the Monday night matchup.

“I expect him to play,” Donald said of Burrow, pre Pro Football Talk. “I know he is a tough guy. So my mindset is he’s going to be out there healthy and playing how he needs to play. So our job is to go through this game plan, obviously practice it, get used to it, feel comfortable with it, understand what we need to do, and then execute it come Monday.”

Donald’s belief that Burrow will play is quite a bit different than that of the quarterback’s teammate, Ja’Marr Chase. The receiver told reporters he doesn’t believe Burrow will be on the field for Monday Night Football.

“If I had to guess, I would say no,” Chase said when asked if Burrow would play. “But I don’t know because I’ve been telling him, ‘no.’ My answer never changed from this.”

When Burrow sustained the injury in training camp, Chase said he didn’t want Burrow to play until he was at full strength.

“I told him, in all honesty, I don’t want him there,” Chase told NFL Network in August, per Pro Football Talk. “I sat out an extra game just to let my hip heal all the way up. You don’t want to cause problems later in the season. As long as you’re there after Week Five and on, we’re good, brother.”

On3’s Dustin Schutte also contributed to this article.