We already know what an ideal preseason would look like for Cincinnati Bengals fans: One that doesn't include major injuries to any key contributors. If the team looks half-decent, that would be an added bonus, but getting to the regular season healthy is the name of the game. But, what would an ideal preseason look like for Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow?
Burrow reveals what his ideal preseason would look like
Burrow has taken a total of three preseason snaps in his entire career, but that's about to change as Bengals coach Zac Taylor has already confirmed that Burrow is expected to play in Cincinnati's preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will be Burrow's first game action since suffering a season-ending wrist injury that requried surgery last season.
It remains to be seen exactly how much Burrow will play in the preseason, but he probably won't play too much at all. His action likely won't stretch beyond the first game of the preseason, and even in that game he probably won't play too much. Maybe he'll play a a drive, or two, but it's tough to imagine him playing much more than that.
After all, getting Burrow a few game reps for comfort is one thing, but risking injury in a game that is ultimately meaningless is another thing entirely. The last thing in the world that the Bengals need is Burrow suffering an injury in the preseason. If that happened, the decision to even play him for a single snap would be second-guessed endlessly. That's why Burrow won't play more than a couple of drives.
Burrow himself doesn't sound like he's expecting to be out on the field for long during the preseason. The star quarterback revealed that his ideal preseason would consist of one single drive that concludes with a touchdown: "Hopefully one drive. Score a touchdown and get outta there," he said.
What's JOE BURROW'S ideal preseason action entail???
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 5, 2024
Gotta love this answer 😅🔊@JoeyB @heykayadams @Bengals #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/2h1p4p1xPo
That sounds like a pretty perfect plan. If Burrow comes out and leads the Bengals to a touchdown on his opening drive, that will absolutely be all anyone needs to see from him in the preseason. Even if he doesn't do that, his preseason run will still be extremely limited. It's not like he has anything to prove in that setting.