CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow returned to the practice field this week, throwing with teammates for the first time since his wrist — and the Bengals’ season — went pop in Baltimore last November.
He threw short, he threw deep, he threw on the run, he threw off-platform. During a one-hour session, the face of the franchise made every play expected of somebody six months removed from a wrist injury that’s essentially unprecedented among major NFL quarterbacks.
He’s been throwing since early April and is now fully cleared for everything except contact, which is expected to come in about a month.
“This was a difficult injury,” Burrow said. “This has definitely been one of the most challenging parts of my life for the past several months but we’re getting through it and continuing to improve mentally and physically every day. It’s definitely a challenge and a process.”
.@joeyb is a man on a mission.
Offseason Workouts | @KetteringHealth pic.twitter.com/0HlBzbMrpT
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) May 6, 2024
Welcome to another year of dissecting a tricky rehab process for Burrow.
From the lockout as a rookie (2020) to the ACL (2021) to the appendectomy (2022) to the calf (2023), the path from this point in the year to opening day has never felt like a summer breeze.
He’s a walking, talking, touchdown-throwing example of NFL unpredictability.
There will always be an element of luck. But in trying to trim as much luck out of the equation as possible, Burrow’s building belief this year might be different.
GO DEEPER
Joe Burrow ‘in a good spot’ working back from wrist injury
More than the presence of a compression sleeve on his arm, deep overthrow of Charlie Jones or passing flick of the wrist rolling left, the most hopeful piece of information to come from Tuesday was insight into his latest evolution.
Tiring and frustrating rehab following a lost season sent him to an accountable self-reflection.
“I’m going to be honest with myself about how my body is feeling, maybe a little more cautious than I have been in years past,” Burrow said. “So that’s kind of been something that’s been on my mind for the last couple of months. I’m getting better at that. It’s always a challenge to not push yourself in that way. But I’m growing and learning every year trying to be a pro and trying to figure out how to best be available for my team.”
He needs to be better about keeping himself on the field. Unable to finish two of his four seasons, he’s coming to terms with the fact that it goes well beyond sliding before taking a hit or throwing the ball away under pressure.
He needs to be honest with himself, his own competitiveness and the training staff around him.
GO DEEPER
Bengals’ scouts reveal details about Cincinnati’s 2024 NFL Draft class
For a guy who’s made a career on being “addicted to getting better,” as he said Tuesday, finding perspective to not push tirelessly in hopes of being Superman or immune to setbacks can be an extremely tough process. It goes against the basic instincts that define a player noted for being wired differently.
Last year it was the second day of training camp when Burrow felt enough discomfort to wear a compression sleeve on his calf, but still pushed over two hours into an intense July practice and pulled up lame. He suffered setbacks trying to come back too soon. Those drew his process out months too long into risky, unproductive situations.
The experience left an imprint.
“I’m growing and learning how to handle my body,” Burrow said. “I think that’s a continued process of learning when to push through something that you think maybe might be there and another day, you might not be feeling great and this muscle’s a little tight and like, ‘Hey, we got to take it easy today.’ So that’s something that I’m continuing to learn. I think that’s part of growing as a player and as a pro and it’s a continued process day-in and day-out.”
Trust in staying patient with his body and communication with the doctors could be the key to avoiding another situation like last year. This situation isn’t like returning from an ACL or even the calf. There is no template to follow. It was easy to pinpoint what made the last six months so trying.
“The uncertainty,” Burrow said. “I definitely was kind of flying blind throughout the beginning of the rehab process, because I hadn’t found any quarterbacks that had had this before.”
He’s spent time talking to offensive linemen, defensive linemen and linebackers about the injury looking for insight. They hardly require the same knowledge of the intricacies of motion as a player whose ability to snap his wrist is at the core of everything the franchise is trying to accomplish.
Honesty, patience and trust in a plan have been key in working with director of rehab Nick Cosgray and head trainer Matt Summers.
“Nick and Matt have really done a good job of making sure I get that motion back, and our rehab has been lights out,” Burrow said.
It’s not perfect. Burrow says he’s not happy with his accuracy yet, that’s among many works in progress. As is knocking rust off his mechanics. Some passes floated off-target or skipped to the ground on Tuesday. Not many, but it happens.
“There’s definitely flashes of it getting better,” he said. “I’m excited about that.”
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Sign up
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Sign up
Buy
Risk still exists in the process, but most of it is behind him. His mere presence as OTAs opened was enough of a statement of how well things are going.
“At this point, it’s just about getting ready to play football,” he said. “It will continue to get better. The knee was cleared after nine months but I didn’t really start to feel normal until about a year out. I imagine this is about how that is going to feel. Fortunately, that coincides with the beginning of training camp, start of the season.”
Meanwhile, he spent the offseason attempting to build a stronger frame more capable of withstanding a full season of punishment. He’s dialed up his calories and been able to keep up with a more focused workout program.
“I’m really strong,” he said, “bigger than I was.”
Will that be enough to get Burrow to January and beyond?
“I don’t know,” he said. “That’s what we’re gonna find out. That’s kind of a work in progress of somebody’s career. You’re always growing and learning and I’m trying something new this year, so we’ll see how I feel when the season rolls around when, camp rolls around, when we’re on the field every day. But I don’t know the answer to that. We’re gonna find out.”
Additional muscle, perspective and patience may not matter. Perhaps there’s another ailment around the corner. That’s the life of a quarterback in an NFL where 67 different signal-callers started a game last year.
Burrow can live with that — he’s done it before. But failing to evolve and improve a process that hasn’t played out as well as he’d hoped through four seasons was not an option. Specifically, one that played out as it did in 2023. Implementing a conscious understanding of himself, how to trim the margins of injury and limit the amount of bad luck that can creep into the equation is a major development.
If all goes well, it could end up among the most important of his career.
(Photo: Cara Owsley / USA Today)
