Joe Burrow was on the sideline for the Cincinnati Bengals' preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night, but if it were up to him, he would have been out on the field, for a little bit at least.
Not playing against the Colts wasn't Joe Burrow's decision
Burrow joined the game's live broadcast on Amazon Prime Video during the second quarter of the contest, and when asked if him not playing in the game was a decision that was ultimately made by him or the coaching staff, the star quarterback said that the final call was out of his hands, as he would have preferred to play.
"That's not my choice," Burrow said. "I would have probably preferred to play a little bit today. But we got a good workout in this morning, got some throws in. It's nice to watch these guys try to go out and make the team, so I'm just here to support them today."
Joe Burrow says it wasn't his choice to sit out vs. the #Colts | FULL INTERVIEW pic.twitter.com/hQxsojbqwy
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhiferNF) August 23, 2024
It's not super surprising that Burrow seems slightly disappointed by his lack of on-field action during the preseason finale. After all, he had previously expressed a desire to absorb a hit during preseason play after not taking any contact during the lone drive he played during the preseason opener.
"It would probably help me mentally more than anything," Burrow said of getting hit. "Just understanding falling can hurt. Just get that thing hit one time before you're out there in a real game."
While it makes sense that Burrow would want to play and get that first hit out of the way during preseason play, it also makes sense that the Cincinnati's coaching staff didn't want him to take any added contact in a game that is essentially meaningless for him. After all, getting Burrow to the regular season fully healthy was the main goal for the team.
Burrow played just one drive in Cincinnati's three exhibitions, but he certainly played well during his brief time on the field, as he went 5-for-7 for 51 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With his preseason now in the rearview, the next time we'll see him out on the field will be for Cincinnati's regular season opener against the New England Patriots on Sept. 8.