No news is good news for the Cincinnati Bengals and fantasy football managers when it comes to quarterback Joe Burrow and his calf injury. Here is the latest on the star QB’s status.
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What Happened to Joe Burrow?
While no one from the organization has gone on the record and said the plan is for Burrow to be ready for Week 1, that has been the target date ever since head coach Zac Taylor offered the “several weeks” timeline on July 27, the day after Burrow went down late in the second practice of training camp. That was six weeks and four days out from the season opener in Cleveland.
Joe Burrow pulls up with a lower right leg injury. pic.twitter.com/XTDHwG7klD
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) July 27, 2023
That Burrow stepped on the Paycor Stadium field and essentially did a full pregame routine — in full view of the television cameras — prior to the preseason opener was a sign that his rehab is progressing as hoped, if not even better.
One thing that has not been in full view of cameras or other media is the team’s daily morning walkthroughs at the indoor practice facility.
Taylor was asked earlier this week if Burrow had been participating in those half-speed sessions.
“There’s a lot of things he’s involved in behind the scenes,” he said.
Translation: Yes.
Burrow spent the first couple of weeks after the injury doing rehab during the practice sessions, but he’s since been out on the field, listening to the play calls and taking mental notes.
What Does This Mean for Burrow’s Fantasy Ranking?
From a redraft perspective, there may be some hesitation in taking Burrow early in your fantasy drafts. Burrow has landed right around QB3/QB4 in most fantasy rankings.
If your draft is this weekend, you should view Burrow the same way you did on July 26.
He missed three weeks following his appendectomy prior to last year’s training camp, and he lost a lot of weight. He was nowhere near 100 percent when the season started, yet he still put up some of the best numbers in the league.
The calf injury isn’t having near the physical effect on Burrow as the appendectomy did, but the major difference is he won’t be coming back if he’s not 100 percent. If his progress somehow slows over the next few weeks, then yes, missing a start or two could still be on the table.
But that’s a what-if scenario fantasy players shouldn’t be too fearful of when it comes time to draft a quarterback.
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