Bengals OL Michael Jordan on Joe Burrow's Knee Injury: 'I Took It Really Personal'
June 11, 2021
Cincinnati Bengals left guard Michael Jordan told Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic that he was deeply affected by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's season-ending knee injury last November.
“I took it really personal,” Jordan said. “It took me about a week to get out of my own head.”
The Bengals were playing the Washington Football Team on November 22, 2020. In the third quarter, Burrow dropped back to pass, but the offensive line's protection faltered.
Washington defensive lineman Jonathan Allen beat Jordan and rolled into Burrow's left leg, causing the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and NCAA national champion to fall sideways to the ground. Washington edge-rusher Montez Sweat also beat right tackle Bobby Hart and hit Burrow from the other side.
Burrow was carted off the field. He suffered a torn ACL, a torn MCL and other structural damage, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ben Baby.
Jordan told Dehner that he spoke with Burrow afterward and apologized.
"First thing I did was I apologized to Joe. I told him he was not going to hear any more words from me. Just actions. I can tell him I’m going to do better. He doesn't want to hear that. He wants to see it. I'll prove what I’m saying and my convictions this upcoming season. Not a whole lot of talking; I'm just going to show it.
"He really just said thank you, I appreciate it. He told me he loved me, and I told him I loved him too. There’s always love between me and Joe Burrow. He's a great guy—hell of a guy. I just really don’t have anything else to say to him; I just want to show him. That’s all I want to do."
Burrow is on track to return for Week 1, per Dr. Neil ElAttrache, who operated on Burrow and relayed that news to ESPN's Adam Schefter in mid-May.
The Bengals open their regular season on Sunday, Sept. 12 at home against the Minnesota Vikings.