Bengals Claim Joe Burrow Injury 'Looked' Like A Sprained Wrist But There Are Reasons To Doubt Them
The Cincinnati Bengals are saying one thing about quarterback Joe Burrow but the pictures and anecdotal evidence are suggesting something else. Something more serious.
"It looked like he sprained his wrist," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said after the Baltimore Ravens beat the Bengals, 34-20, Thursday night. "He fell on it early in the game and felt it on that touchdown pass."
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow heads to the locker room before halftime Thursday night. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Joe Burrow Wrist Injury A Bengals Problem
Not all wrist sprains are the same. A grade 1 sprain can take one to three weeks for recovery, a grade 2 can take three to six weeks, and a grade 3 can require several months of recovery time.
Burrow left the game after throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Joe Mixon with 5:49 left in the second quarter. He grimaced after the throw although no one touched him. So there was no trauma involved involved with this injury.
Burrow, the NFL's highest paid player, walked to the sideline holding that right hand.
And on the sideline Burrow tried multiple passes after visiting the blue medical tent. On the second attempt he just let go of the football midway through his motion and was in obvious pain. Burrow headed toward the locker room. And although he came returned after halftime, he was only a spectator the rest of the night.
Burrow did not speak to reporters after the game.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow congratulates Patrick Queen after the game on Thursday night. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Joe Burrow Tells Former Teammate He Felt Pop
But his body language and the manner in which he spoke to teammates on the sideline and even Ravens players after the game -- all of whom wanted to know his status -- made it clear he was delivering disappointing news.
Burrow used his left hand to dap up Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson at midfield afterward.
He then hugged former Louisiana State University teammate Patrick Queen and the cameras caught him saying he "felt a pop."
Then he added, "We'll see."
Burrow will go for further exams, including an MRI, on Friday after the Bengals return to Cincinnati. It's obvious the club has something to worry about.
A detail view of the right hand of Joe Burrow after he injured it against the Ravens. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Joe Burrow May Require Surgery
Burrow's hand was visibly swollen after the injury.
OutKick contributor Dr. David Chao, who was the team doctor the San Diego Chargers for 17 years, said Thursday night the injury is "much more than a sprain."
Dr. Chao did not examine Burrow. But he studied the tape of the injury and the manner the quarterback tried to throw on the sideline.
He believes Burrow may have suffered a Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) tear. If Friday's MRI confirms this, Burrow will likely require arthroscopic surgery.
Such a surgery could cause Burrow to miss anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks.
And then there is this:
Bengals Coach Zac Taylor Denies Previous Injury
Taylor was asked after the game if Burrow hurt his wrist before Thursday night's game.
"Not that I'm aware of," Taylor said.
Except that the quarterback wore some sort of compression glove on the same right hand and wrist area upon arriving in Baltimore. The glove was sighted on an arrival video the Bengals themselves put out and, interestingly, later deleted.
The Bengals did not list Burrow on the injury report at all prior to the game.