Every NFL team’s nightmare might be playing out in Cincinnati, with Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow being carted off the practice field earlier today with an apparent lower leg injury.
The video admittedly does not look good, being that it looks to be one of those “non-contact” injuries that can often be devastating. An official word on the injury has not been released, though it is being called a “calf injury” as of right now.
Seeing NFL players get hurt during the season is hard enough, considering the countless hours of time and energy they spend preparing to put their body through the brutal sport. But when injuries happen before the season even begins, it’s that much more of a gut-punch.
Bengals fans are certainly holding their breath right now, and one could argue that all NFL fans are anxiously awaiting to hear of the severity of the lower leg injury. Burrow has clearly showcased that he’s one of the league’s best players, and the thought of losing him to an injury before the season even gets going would be a huge loss for the Bengals and the NFL as a whole.
Here’s the video from the play where Burrow was hurt during practice:
And then here’s the video of “Joey B” being helped to the cart (not putting any weight on his leg) to be transported off the field:
Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor talked to reporters after practice, relaying that he doesn’t have all the information necessary to make an official statement so soon after the injury.
Taylor did go on to say:
“It’s all his calf. It was 10 minutes ago, so I don’t have any more information on that…
This is football. Guys go down with an injury that maybe is a day thing, who knows. We don’t message the team after every single guy that goes down. There’s a lot of guys that had soreness today and had reps cut down today, and that’s just part of playing football.”
NFL Reporter Ian Rapoport gave some additional information from Taylor, sending out a tweet stating:
“Bengals Coach Zac Taylor tells reporters that QB Joe Burrow suffered a calf strain — which is much better news than several alternatives. Have to imagine this takes him off the field for the preseason. To be determined on a timeframe.”
And a quote from Burrow’s teammate and star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase gave a little bit of hope to Bengals fans about the severity of the injury. Chase told reporters:
“(Joe Burrow) gave me the nod. I wasn’t really worried. I believe he’s alright.”
Now all football fans can do is wait and hope that Burrow’s injury isn’t as severe as it looked to be in the moment. First reports are saying that it is a “calf strain,” but an official statement from the Bengals in the near future should clear up some of the concern around the Bengals franchise quarterback.
Twitter certainly has been upset about the injury news, sending out tweets saying:
