Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow Reveals New Injury Concern

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is dealing with back tightness after Sunday’s season-opening win but said he expects to play this weekend when the team visits the Houston Texans.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that Burrow told reporters he is dealing with “back tightness,” but he expects to play Sunday at Houston against the Texans.

Burrow was limited at Wednesday’s practice, sitting out team stretching and doing little throwing during the portion open to media. He later said he felt the tightness after the Bengals’ 33-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and could not pinpoint a specific play.

The 29-year-old completed 25 of 35 passes for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the opener. He also took a hard hit from Buccaneers linebacker Alex Anzalone while scrambling for a first down in the first half.

Burrow said he was comfortable with that decision because it kept a scoring drive alive. He described his current condition as normal game-day soreness and insisted he will be ready.

Asked whether he might sit out Sunday as a precaution, Burrow replied, “That’s ridiculous.” He added that if he is not having surgery, he will be on the field.

The comments did little to erase concern in Cincinnati. Burrow has missed significant time in three of his NFL seasons, including a torn ACL as a rookie in 2020, a wrist injury that ended his 2023 campaign after 10 games, and a turf-toe injury that limited him to eight games last year.

Schefter noted on ESPN that fans understandably panic when Burrow is not practicing on the first day of the work week.

“When he’s not out there, the team is not the same, and there’s reason to worry,” Schefter said.

The Bengals are 1-0 and travel to NRG Stadium for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday on CBS. Houston is 0-1 after a 36-31 home loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Burrow said he will decide day by day how much he practices the rest of the week. He expressed confidence that mental reps and walk-throughs would be enough to prepare him if he remains limited.

Veteran Joe Flacco is the backup. The Bengals would turn to him only if Burrow suffers a setback.

Cincinnati’s offense looked efficient at times in Week 1 but also committed a costly pick-six. Keeping Burrow healthy remains the franchise’s highest priority after years of interrupted seasons.

The Texans present a different challenge than Tampa Bay. Houston’s defense will look to bounce back after allowing a high-scoring game against Josh Allen.

Burrow has a history of playing through pain when surgery is not required. He missed no regular-season games after an appendectomy in 2022 and has often been listed as limited early in a week only to start on Sunday.

Still, any tightness this early in September is notable for a quarterback whose availability has defined the Bengals’ ceiling. Cincinnati will monitor the situation closely through Friday’s practice and Saturday’s walk-through.

For now, Burrow’s message was direct. He expects to be under center against the Texans.