Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals' nightmarish start to a 2023 NFL season, that began with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, just went from bad to worse.
According to a report from Jonathan Jones on CBS' NFL Today, Burrow could be heading to injured reserve due to an ankle injury.
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Burrow suffered a calf injury back on July 27, and had gotten off to a sluggish start to the season, as the Bengals limped to two consecutive losses to open the 2023 campaign. Adding an ankle injury to the mix, that could put Burrow on the shelf for upwards of four weeks, could make it even more difficult for Cincinnati to make a push in the AFC North.
Officially, the Bengals have listed Burrow as questionable for Monday night's home clash against the Los Angeles Rams, due to the calf injury. Adding to the concern surrounding Burrow is the fact that Cincinnati signed journeyman quarterback A.J. McCarron to the practice squad on Saturday afternoon.
"We've still got two days before the game. Forty-eight hours. More than 48 hours," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters. "It's really day to day. We'll have conversations and see where it goes. But he looked good today."
The Bengals and Burrow underachieving to open the season comes on the heels of the 26-year-old signing a new contract that includes a record $219 million guaranteed. However, adding injuries to the mix makes the Bengals' early-season struggles even more worrisome.
Through his first two games of the season, Burrow had completed just 56.9 percent of his passes for 304 yards with just two touchdowns to one interception, clearly suffering through — at least — the lingering effects of his injury suffered during training camp.
The Bengals and Rams kickoff as one of two games this Monday night, but there is much uncertainty about who will lead Cincinnati's offense out onto the field.