Joe Burrow's surprising status for Bengals first preseason game revealed

Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow has taken just three preseason snaps in his entire career. Various reasons have contributed to this fact.

The entire postseason was cancelled in 2020, Burrow's rookie season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He played three preseason snaps the following year while coming off of an ACL injury. He missed the entirety of the 2022 preseason after undergoing an appendectomy in late July. Last year, Burrow missed the entire preseason after suffering a calf sprain in training camp.

Burrow expected to play in first preseason game

That will change this year though, as Burrow -- and other starters -- are expected to play in Cincinnati's first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, August 10, according to head coach Zac Taylor.

The preseason action for Burrow and the rest of the starters will likely be limited, but it will allow the players to get some real game reps in before the start of the regular season.

"We're just trying to make sure our team is prepared for the first week of the season, what work do we need to get done, and so these games factor into that," Taylor said of the preseason games.

There's an inherent risk that comes with preseason play, especially for a player as valuable as Burrow. But, there can also be some benefits for a player coming off of an injury. After he suffered a season-ending wrist injury that required surgery last season, it makes sense that the Bengals would want to give Burrow some reps in the preseason before the games truly matter, so that he feels comfortable with the wrist, and the star quarterback is eager for the opportunity to improve.

"I'm excited for it," Burrow said of playing in the preseason. "I'm just excited to get these reps, and have these reps and [to] get better right now."

Cincinnati has a total of three preseason games, but it wouldn't be surprising if Burrow and the bulk of the starters didn't play in the final two contests. The Bengals open up the regular season against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 8.