Shannon Sharpe sounds the alarm on injured Joe Burrow amid Bengals nightmare start

To add injury to insult, quarterback Joe Burrow reaggravated his calf in the team's 27-24 Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Burrow informed reporters after the game that the injured calf is "sore" and expects to evaluate his health on a "day-to-day" basis. 

While Burrow and the Bengals hold out hope that the quarterback will be healthy and ready to play next Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams, Shannon Sharpe is looking at things through a far less optimistic lens. 

On Monday's episode of ESPN's "First Take," the Hall of Fame tight end-turned-analyst cast serious concerns for Burrow's health and the Bengals season outlook. 

“I’m a firm believer that if you limp into the season, you’ll limp out of it," Sharpe said. "How many guys have ever got healthier during the football season?”  

Burrow initially strained his right calf in the second practice of training camp, keeping him sidelined for approximately six weeks. Since sustaining a torn ACL and MCL during his rookie season, the former No. 1 overall pick has remained relatively healthy, appearing in 32 regular season games over the last two years. 

Burrow inked the largest contract in Bengals history this offseason, a five-year extension worth $275 million. His average annual value of $55 million is the most in the NFL, regardless of position. 

While undoubtedly one of the premier talents in all of football, Burrow has failed to live up to his hefty pricetag thus far this season. His 56.9% completion percentage ranks 28th among quarterbacks and is worse than two of the three starting rookie signal-callers in the NFL — Anthony Richardson (63.8) and CJ Stroud (63.7%). Over the prior two seasons, Burrow finished no worse than second in completion percentage, with an average of 69.35%. 

Cincinnati and Burrow have battled back from slow starts in years past. However, they'll have their hands full this time around. Three of their next six games are against opponents who combined for a win-loss record of 34-15 last season (Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills). 

That is a tough stretch for any 0-2 team looking to dig themselves out of a hole, let alone one with a quarterback dealing with a lingering injury.