What the Bengals Said About the Device Joe Burrow was Wearing and the NFL Investigation Into It

Multiple reports Friday morning indicated the NFL is opening an investigation into why Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was not on the injury report this week despite wearing a medical device on his right wrist that was so severely injured Thursday night it will knock him out for the rest of the season.

It began with the Bengals’ social media team taking airport arrival photos and videos of the players and their outfits upon landing in Baltimore. The team quickly deleted the footage of Burrow wearing a compression sleeve on his wrist, causing a stir.

What Was Joe Burrow Wearing on His Wrist, and Why?

Then, when Burrow clutched the wrist in pain after throwing a touchdown pass, the scrutiny grew.

“That’s totally unrelated to this,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “A lot of our guys wear different compression things on the plane. I don’t know exactly what it was, but totally unrelated to what this was.”

“I see guys wearing that stuff all the time on different body parts,” Taylor added. “I haven’t made it a point to ask them all about it every time they do it.”

Burrow confirmed it was a compression sleeve but said it was unrelated to what happened in the game, saying it is something he routinely wears on flights.

“It’s not uncommon for guys to wear a compression sleeve on a plane because when you go up to that altitude, things can swell up,” he said. “In football, you have a lot of bumps and bruises. This is a completely new injury.”

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“That was more of a just make sure my arm on a flight doesn’t … I mean, you try to maintain your body as much as you can,” he continued. “On a short week, you got some bumps and bruises. Had nothing to do with the wrist.”

Taylor said he has yet to be contacted by anyone from the NFL about an investigation.

He reiterated that it was a new injury, and there were no signs of anything in the days leading up to the game.

“He practiced fully all week — looked great in warmups,” Taylor said. “Everything was good.”

Penalties for violating the league’s rules on injury reporting can range from fines to the loss of a draft pick, although it would need to be a rare circumstance for such a harsh penalty to be levied.

The Steelers were fined $75,000 and head coach Mike Tomlin $25,000 for a violation of the injury report involving quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 2019.

Earlier this season, the NFL investigated the Atlanta Falcons for not listing running back Bijan Robinson with an illness on the injury report. Robinson had just one carry in the game and told reporters afterward that he had not been feeling well.

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Taylor and Burrow said they are confident the investigation will exonerate them, insisting that the injury happened on the play before the touchdown when Baltimore edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney took Burrow to the ground after he delivered a pass.

Burrow said he was unaware of whether the injury happened when his wrist hit the ground or when Clowney’s right arm came down on the wrist as it was flush against the turf.

“I don’t really even remember,” Burrow said. “I didn’t even really realize I fell on it before they showed me the video. In the heat of it like that, it’s hard to … sometimes you don’t even feel what’s happening to your body in those situations just because of the moment and the adrenaline. So it’s hard to even describe it.”

“The next play on the touchdown pass, I felt a pop in the middle of the throw,” he added. “I tried to give it a go but couldn’t get it done. Obviously got the news today. Not great.”

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