Bengals’ Joe Burrow on his wrist injury, Tee Higgins’s future, and the adjustments the offense needs to make
Joe Burrow, the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, made his first public remarks since having wrist surgery in November that ended his season.
The Bengals’ 2023 roster will not be together after Monday. Like every year, there will be change as a number of important players become free agents.
Burrow will primarily focus on his recovery during the offseason for the second time in his brief career as he attempts to return to the field. In terms of his health, Burrow’s current offseason is possibly the most significant of his career.
In September, the Bengals and Burrow reached an agreement on a $275 million, five-year extension, tying them together through the 2029 season. The Cincinnati front office gave him a salary in the hopes that he would help the team contend for many more years.
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Monday, January 8, 2024, marks the first day of the Bengals’ offseason at Paycor Stadium as quarterback Joe Burrow addresses the media.
He needs to be on the field in order for him to do that. His four seasons in the NFL have ended with him requiring major surgery in two of them. Due to health issues, he has also missed the majority of training camp each of the past two seasons. Burrow missed every preseason game except the last one in 2022 due to an emergency appendectomy.
After a year? On the second practice day, Burrow strained his calf, which kept him out of the entire training camp. After re-injuring his calf in Week 2, he tore the scapholunate ligament in his throwing hand, ending his season just as he was beginning to settle into a rhythm.
“The year was peculiar,” Burrow remarked on Monday. We never felt as though we had fully realized our potential. Naturally, an injury occurred at the exact point in the year where we typically begin to make the leap that we have in previous years. It was a difficult year.
The team appreciates Burrow’s voice inside the company. These are the main lessons he imparted before he left for yet another offseason. He covered a lot of ground and will likely bring them up frequently in the coming months.
Will he be able to incorporate the off-season exercise regimen? When asked for specifics and an estimated time frame for his return to being able to hold a football, Burrow remained reticent. Before he can start throwing again, a lot more needs to happen. He hopes to be able to take part in May’s organized team activities (OTAs).
“I must observe. I believe that OTAs will treat me well,” he remarked. “But we really will not know until quite early on.”
Four to six months is the estimated recovery time from the injury, according to sources. This ligament is located between the lunate and scaphoid bones in the middle of the wrist. It is a crucial ligament that stabilizes the wrist.
Tee Higgins, five, a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, signs autographs for fans before the team’s NFL football matchup with the Cleveland Browns in Week 18 at Paycor Stadium on January 7, 2024.
Regarding wide receiver Tee Higgins, what did Joe Burrow say and did he think he would be back next season?
Burrow remarked, “I know Tee wants to be here.” Tee is aware of our desire for him to be here. In that regard, there is not much to say. The expectation among all is that Tee will return. We will see. The off-season unfolds in unexpectedly bizarre ways. Tee wants to return, and I would really love to have him back.
The Bengals’ contract with Higgins has now expired. Before the season, the parties were unable to come to a decision on an extension.
Higgins was not “believed” to be in the team’s future plans, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Enquirer.
The following are the three possibilities for the Bengals with Higgins: Put him under the franchise tag and keep him for an additional season at a salary of over $20 million; alternatively, release the tag and trade him for draft picks or allow him to enter the free agent market.
If the Bengals decide to go that route, they have until February 20 to March 5 to assign Higgins the franchise tag. If they don’t, it indicates that they intend to grant him free agency.
Is there anything the offense can do to help Joe Burrow take fewer hits?
Burrow remarked, “I think we can be more explosive in the run game.” “We have been effective, I believe. We have managed to stay on schedule thanks to the run game. Hitting a few home runs would be nice. Later in the season, we did. It was pleasing to observe that. Guys like Chase stepping up and making some huge plays, and Joe Mixon seizing his chances. I am pleased with that feature. This offseason, I believe we can make progress.
The Bengals have stated that they need to be more explosive in the run game for the second year in a row. In terms of rushing offense, Cincinnati finished the season ranked No. 31.This season, Burrow was sacked 24 times in 10 games.
Is Joe Burrow going to make any adjustments to his offseason training regimen in an effort to make sure he can make it through a full training camp?
Burrow stated, “It will not change early on.” “Maybe in the weeks before training camp. As we get closer, I will make that decision based on how my body may be feeling. However, we will approach that step by step.
The Bengals cannot afford to have another training camp without Burrow, which results in another 0-2 season opener. There is not enough leeway in the AFC North. This season, three of the division’s four teams advanced to the postseason.
Cincinnati needs to stay out of the division and avoid another slow start. Next season, finishing 1–5 in the AFC North is not going to be sufficient.
Burrow’s health continues to be the team’s top priority because he needs a full training camp to prepare for Week 1. Prior to training camp, the 27-year-old made a suggestion that his summertime plans might change.
He remarked, “Maybe a few weeks before just laying off the gas a little bit.” “I am not sure. We will see. Depending on the state of the body.
Why did not the 2023 meet the Bengals’ expectations?
Burrow pointed out that the Bengals’ season has not exactly taken off this year. On both sides of the ball, their consistency was wildly inconsistent.
There will be adjustments made at certain offensive and defensive positions, and Burrow claims the team knows what needs to be done to improve in order to win more games the following season.”Injuries occur annually,” he stated. However, a lot of things that went into this year fell short of our expectations. After fixing those issues, we will move forward. Obviously, after the roster is finalized, we will learn more. You enter OTAs, the combine concludes, free agency ends, and the draft concludes. Then you will be able to settle down and give our guys your whole attention.
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