CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals fans are going to witness something in 2024 they haven’t seen in a few years — and maybe for the first time ever.
The offensive starters, including quarterback Joe Burrow, will play in the preseason next month.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Burrow is cleared for contact in addition to announcing his intent to play him in the preseason during the team’s annual pre-camp luncheon at Paycor Stadium on Monday.
Bengals Will Play Starters, Including Joe Burrow, in Preseason
“How much, how many games is to be determined,” Taylor said. “The schedule is a little quirky with the second and third game being kind of back-to-back, and we’re practicing with both those teams as well, so you get good work there.
“I certainly do see our starters playing at some point,” he added. “How much or little will kind of be dictated through the first two weeks of practice and how I feel about that.”
Coming off an 0-2 start in 2022, Taylor said the same thing at last year’s pre-camp luncheon, noting that some leaders on offense had requested preseason reps to scrape away the rust.
Taylor was less committal a year ago, simply saying he was open to it.
The option closed when Burrow suffered a calf injury on the second day of training camp.
Compromised by the calf and missed time, Burrow and the offense were abysmal in the first two games, starting 0-2 for the second season in a row.
After having surgery to repair a season-ending wrist injury suffered in November, the Bengals built in some rest days for Burrow during the offseason program.
Next practice… full squad.
Training Camp | @KetteringHealth pic.twitter.com/mVHjFkAW6L
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) July 22, 2024
Taylor didn’t want to get into his specific plan for his quarterback in camp, which begins Wednesday. But he did say a plan exists for every player on the roster.
As far as Burrow’s wrist, Taylor said his quarterback is fully cleared and any rest days will be precautionary.
“It’s more the head coach being proactive, knowing that, ideally, 30 days from now, our team is ready to go in late August, getting ready for that first regular-season game,” he said. “And so my job is these first two weeks to make sure we’re managing it to where those last two weeks we can hit the ground running.”
How much would a series or two in the preseason help avoid another slow start? It’s hard to say. But the players are on board with it, and Taylor has always valued input from the locker room when it comes to scheduling and load management.
Some of the most successful teams have been willing to play starters in the preseason, including the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes played 26 snaps and threw 17 passes last year. The NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers played quarterback Brock Purdy for 28 snaps despite him coming off a season-ending elbow injury seven months earlier.
Josh Allen played 29 snaps for the Buffalo Bills. Baker Mayfield played 34 for the Tampa. Bay Buccaneers. And Tua Tagovailoa logged 29 snaps for the Miami Dolphins. All three starting quarterbacks led their teams to the playoffs.
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Burrow didn’t have a preseason due to the pandemic in 2020, and he didn’t play in 2022 after suffering an appendectomy or in 2023 due to the calf.
His preseason action consists of three snaps and one screen pass — a Ja’Marr Chase drop — in the 2021 finale.
His next preseason completion will be the first of his career.
#Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow talks football mortality as he fights through another injury rehab: https://t.co/5wFf1r8Xji
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) June 11, 2024
Burrow talked earlier this offseason about his football mortality and the toll his long list of injuries has taken on him mentally.
But Taylor said he hasn’t seen any hint of anxiety from his quarterback this offseason.
“I don’t sense that,” he said. “Those are all personal things that he can better answer than I can. But no, my impression of him, just seeing him over the last several months has been very positive, and he’s ready to go.”
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