Bengals star returns to practice for first time since injury

The Bengals’ roster has seen plenty of alterations over the past few days, but a familiar face was back at practice on Wednesday. Quarterback Joe Burrow took part in team drills for the first time since his calf injury.

Given the timing of the calf strain, questions have been raised about Burrow’s availability for the start of the regular season. The team expressed optimism he would be in place for Week 1 while declining to delve into specifics regarding a timeline for return. By taking the field today, the former No. 1 pick’s absence checked in at just shy of five weeks.

Burrow resumed throwing in mid-August, signaling that he would be able to take part in full team practices not long after. This news confirms that, but  Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network notes that Cincinnati elected to reserve practice to 7-on-7, rather than full 11-on-11 drills. The Pro Bowler’s presence was no doubt a welcomed development for the team, nevertheless.

The Bengals are again expected to be a contender in the AFC, and their success will ride in very large part on Burrow’s performance. An ACL tear in his rookie season and an MCL sprain at the conclusion of Super Bowl LVI represent red flags on his NFL resume, however. The LSU alum also missed time late last offseason while recovering from an emergency appendectomy. This latest ailment falls in between the two scenarios in terms of recovery time.

Cincinnati will resume regular practices next week, Morrison adds, and it would come as no surprise if Burrow is in place taking first-team reps at that point. Presuming that takes place, he will have plenty of time to prepare for the team’s season opener and expectations will remain high ahead of the 2023 campaign.