Week 3 of the preseason is here, and the Cincinnati Bengals are set to face the Indianapolis Colts in their Thursday night preseason finale. With a bye week coming up and then Week 1 on the horizon, will we see Joe Burrow under the lights against the Colts?
Will Bengals QB Joe Burrow Play vs. the Colts?
While he’s healthy to end training camp for the first time in a couple of years, Burrow will not play in the team’s preseason finale. Instead, he participated in two joint practices between the Colts and the Bengals during the week.
While he didn’t play in preseason Week 2 against the Chicago Bears either, Burrow got a little action in the team’s opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He completed five of seven passes for 51 yards and one touchdown in that game.
“When Game 1 comes, I’ll be ready,” Burrow said ahead of the team’s game against the Bears, according to the team’s official website. “It doesn’t matter if we have one or not. Another one is going to be nice, but I’ll be ready.”
Burrow dealt with a wrist injury that ended his season in 2023. He also dealt with knee surgery rehab in 2021, an appendectomy in 2022, and a calf injury in 2023 — 2024 was the first time he properly participated in training camp practices.
“These are the reps I haven’t had the last couple of years,” Burrow said on his practice reps. “The more reps you get before the season, the better you’ll be. … I’m happy where I’m at and moving in the right direction.”
While Burrow is not in action, neither will the rest of the Bengals’ starters be. At quarterback, Jake Browning will handle the start while Logan Woodside and Rocky Lombardi fill out the rest of the game. Woodside has the sixth most passing yards in the NFL this preseason with 281 through two games. He’s also thrown for one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Bengals have yet to win a preseason game this year, falling to 0-2. In Burrow’s appearance, the team fell 17-14 to the Buccaneers while they fell 27-3 to the Bears in Week 2. The Colts, on the other hand, are 1-1 after defeating the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2, 21-13.