The only thing that has held Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow back throughout his young NFL career is injuries. But as he prepares for the 2024 campaign, Burrow is prepared to become an ironman.
The Bengals quarterback appeared in just 10 games during the 2023 season. He dealt with a calf injury, made his return and ultimately succumbed to a season-ending wrist surgery. Working his way back to full health, Burrow is looking to play every game Cincinnati competes in during the 2024 season, via Ben Felderstein of Complex Sports.
“Well, number one, I want to be on the field for all the games,” Burrow said. “I know I'm going to play well when I'm out there. I'm at that point in my career where I've seen enough to know myself that I an go out there and play as well as anybody in the game.”
“The biggest strides this year are going to be my body and learning how to get through the season, get through practices with my body, and feeling in tip-top shape,” Burrow continued. “And so that's the main focus for the offseason.”
To work through his wrist injury, Burrow has been learning to play piano. Not only has that always been a goal of his, but he says it has truly helped in his recovery. The quarterback was able to start throwing in early May and seems confident he'll be on the field come Week 1.
The Bengals will be cautiously optimistic, as an ACL injury limited Burrow to 10 games as a rookie in 2020. He has yet to appear in all 17 games since the schedule change in 2021. But when he is on the field, Burrow has helped turn Cincinnati into a Super Bowl contender.
He has gone 29-21-1 as a starter, throwing for 14,083 yards, 97 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. Burrow won the Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2021 and was voted to his first Pro Bowl in 2022.
Already having led the Bengals to the Super Bowl, Joe Burrow has become to face of the franchise. Cincy will need him to be fully healthy in 2024 if they want a true chance at reclaiming championship glory. While he is taking it step-by-step, Burrow seems well on his way to a clean bill of health come Week 1.
Joe Burrow starstruck by Bengals' playmakers
Burrow will be looking at a different offense when he steps on the gridiron. Tyler Boyd left for the Tennessee Titans while Joe Mixon was traded to the Houston Texas. Still, star receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins still remain.
The Bengals went out and signed Mike Gesicki to be their new tight end and running back Zack Moss to work with Chase Brown in the backfield. Cincy poached tackle Trent Brown from the New England Patriots, giving them a stronger offensive line in front of Burrow.
In all, the quarterback thinks all of the Bengals' moves will make them a more versatile team on offense. After missing the playoffs completely in 2023, Burrow wants to stop that trend immediately in its tracks. Even without Boyd or Mixon, Burrow knows Cincinnati's offense is more than capable of making that happen, via team reporter Geoff Hobson.
“With the personnel we have this year, we'll be able to do a lot more with personnel groupings,” Burrow said. “Putting different people in different spots. And doing a lot of things as far as eye candy and making teams adjust their personnel based on ours.”
Joe Burrow's health will dictate Cincinnati's success in 2024. But after a disappointing 2023 campaign, the quarterback is ready to come back with a vengeance.
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