What Is Bengals QB Joe Burrow’s Biggest Concern About Playing on a Compromised Calf?

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow knows the best way to heal his calf strain is with rest. He also knows that’s not an option.

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Joe Burrow on Playing With Injured Caf

His plan is to deal with the discomfort, hope for no setbacks, and watch the calf get stronger the more he tests it in practices and games.

“It’ll get better each week I don’t have a setback,” Burrow said. “So it was big to get through Monday without having any setbacks. That means it will be stronger this week. And if I get through this week without having any setbacks, it’ll be stronger the next week. So all you can do is rest it and take time. But I’m gonna continue to play, continue to practice, and it’ll get stronger through the year.”

The Bengals held a walkthrough today to give all of the players some extra time to recover after the Monday night win against the Rams.

Burrow was listed as a full participant, and he expects to be able to do more in practice on Thursday and Friday than he did last week when he was limited for the final two sessions.

He also expects to be able to do more Sunday in Tennessee than he did Monday night.

#Bengals QB Joe Burrow on dealing with the issue of mechanics when injured and whether he can heal his calf without full rest: pic.twitter.com/w7zl4WnEDt

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) September 27, 2023

“I was definitely not moving like I normally do, that’s for sure,” he said about Monday. “But it’s gonna continue to get better, and I’ll be able to move around more and more. I was feeling really good, so I’m hoping on Sunday I’ll be able to do a little more of it.”

One of the biggest challenges Burrow has faced beyond pain tolerance and the uneasy uncertainty that comes from wondering when/if there will be another setback is how to stay true to his mechanics when his usual throwing motion is not pain-free.

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“When it first happened, you take a little time off throwing because I didn’t really want to get in bad habits in that way,” he said.

“It’s something I’ve had to think about, trying to find ways to get velocity on it maybe without putting as much pressure on that calf. As it gets healthier, I’ll be able to kind of change that. But right now, I’m feeling my way through it. And practice is a big part of it. Tomorrow and Friday are going to be big for me.”