Bengals QB Joe Burrow Works 30 Minutes After Practice, Says Surgically Repaired Wrist Still Not All the Way Back

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was scheduled to have a news conference at 1 p.m. today when the team’s first practice of the mandatory minicamp ended.

But Burrow stayed on the field nearly 30 minutes after practice ended, getting in more throws.

“Just keep trying to get a rhythm, keep trying to improve the motion and make it efficient,” Burrow said when asked what he was working on.

“I think I talked about it last year – I still wasn't quite back to throwing it the way that I expect,” he continued. “It's improved this year, and it will continue to improve. As long as I keep making those reps, taking the extra time to get that rhythm back, it will continue to improve.”

Despite coming off a career year that resulted in him finishing fourth in the MVP voting, Burrow said his right wrist still isn’t all the way back to where it was before he had season-ending surgery in November 2023.

It was a somewhat surprising response given how well Burrow played last year.

“We're getting there,” he said. “I think I'm learning new things every single day and refining my motion, refining everything about what I'm doing out there.

“That's exciting for me to feel that improvement,” he continued. “That's what keeps you coming back, improving. It sucks when you're working really hard and you're not seeing any improvement. But if you're working smart, then you usually do. And that's pretty addicting.”

After throwing for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns last season, what’s the next step?

Because the odds – or at least history – are against Burrow hitting those marks again.

Only one player in NFL history has thrown at least 43 touchdown passes in back-to-back years – Drew Brees in 2011-12.

And only two have thrown for more than 4,900 yards in consecutive seasons – Brees (2011-14) and Matthew Stafford (2011-12).

Burrow said he’s not focused on the numbers, but rather getting better in all areas.

“There's always room to improve in every area – movement, accuracy, spin rate, bigger, faster, stronger. All those things,” he said.

Burrow said he has a plan for the six-week break that begins after Thursday’s minicamp practice, but he’s not tying himself to a schedule.

“I'm feeling good right now. I'll just take it as my body's telling me,” Burrow said. “If I need a couple days off, I'm gonna take a couple days off. But I'm feeling good, and we'll keep grinding and take it day by day.”

One of the areas where Burrow – and the rest of the team – can most improve is in the first two weeks of the season.

Much of the Bengals’ 1-9 record in Weeks 1 and 2 since he arrived is due to injuries hampering his work in training camp.

He was coming off ACL surgery in 2021, had an appendectomy in 2022, strained his calf in 2023 and was fighting through the wrist rehab last year.

“We've got to go out and play better early in the season,” Burrow said. “That's on us. We'll take ownership of that. We're going to have a plan coming into training camp that will help with that and get us a little more ready, but at the end of the day, it's on us.”

Part of the plan sounds as though it will involved playing the starters more in the preseason.

Burrow said he that would have real value for him.

“It’s always different when you’re getting hit back there. At least for me, and the receivers, too, I'm sure. You're not getting tackled to the ground (in training camp and scrimmages), you're not having to worry about big hits. My clock is a little slower when there's not a live rush coming at me, so I think those reps will be very beneficial.”