Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor shares powerful Joe Burrow admission after loss to Colts
Joe Burrow is looking ready for the regular season.
Joe Burrow was keen on playing in the preseason finale on Thursday night, but coach Zac Taylor opted not to have him suit up. Taylor determined that, given Burrow’s recent performance, there was no necessity for the Bengals’ star quarterback to play before the start of the regular season.
Burrow and the Bengals’ starting lineup watched from the sidelines as the team fell 27-14 to the Indianapolis Colts. Taylor mentioned that Burrow’s showing during the joint practice with the Colts earlier in the week was more than enough to satisfy their preseason needs.
“The Colts practice was one of his best practices of the year. Reminiscent of many of the games he played last year when he was healthy. The accuracy. The decision making. The ball not touching the ground… That kind of put the nail in the coffin of training camp,” said the Bengals head coach.
The Bengals managing Joe Burrows workload through training camp
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) talks with Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor during Cincinnati Bengals training camp in Cincinnati on Friday, July 26, 2024.
Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
While Burrow continued to recover from a season-ending ligament injury in his throwing wrist, the Bengals carefully managed his workload during offseason workouts and at various points throughout training camp.
During Thursday night’s game, Burrow showed interest in playing, as noted by ESPN. Despite overseeing the first drive of the preseason opener against Tampa Bay, he did not see any additional action in the lead-up to the finale against the Colts.
Bengals wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter II remarked that Burrow demonstrated strong pocket presence, impressive pass velocity, and precise ball placement, notably connecting well with Tee Higgins on two passes.
Lassiter suggested that Burrow’s performance was likely influenced by the fact that it was against an opposing team rather than in a typical practice against his own teammates.
Joe Burrow’s preseason track record is sparse. In 2021, he participated in just one game with a single pass attempt, which wasn’t significant. He skipped the preseason entirely in both 2022 and 2023.
Burrow’s very few pre-season games
This year, after recovering from his injury, he chose to play in the opener against Tampa Bay, possibly to evaluate his wrist’s condition.