Bengals' Joe Burrow 'Looked Good' in Return from Calf Injury; Not Certain for Week 1

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Joe Burrow "looked good" in his first practice since suffering a calf injury on July 27, per NBC Sports' Myles Simmons.

"Always good to get him out there," Taylor said. "It certainly energizes the team when you get a chance to get your starting quarterback back. So, I thought he looked good... that was encouraging for everybody."

Taylor did not, however, commit to Burrow's availability for September 10, when the Bengals take on the Cleveland Browns for Week 1 of the regular season.

"Just taking it day to day right now," Taylor said.

Burrow missed most of training camp after being carted out of practice on the second day with a right calf strain. He had previously been seen in a calf compression sleeve but was not wearing one Wednesday.

The quarterback participated in multiple throwing drills during his first practice back and threw to wide receivers including Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase and rookie Charlie Jones, per ESPN's Ben Baby.

When asked about Burrow's timing on throws, Taylor said "it didn't look like he'd missed many practices."

That evaluation will come as a relief to the Bengals, who have now seen Burrow miss parts of training camp for three consecutive seasons.

Burrow was still rehabbing from a torn ACL during 2021 training camp, and he missed the start of the 2022 camp after being diagnosed with appendicitis.

He still recovered in time to make 32 starts over those two regular seasons.

The Bengals will hope for a full season from Burrow in 2023 as the team looks to make the Super Bowl for the first time since its loss to the Los Angeles Rams two seasons ago.

After adding veteran Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Brown and drafting depth like edge rusher Myles Murphy and cornerback DJ Turner this summer, expectations for this Cincinnati squad are high. They will need a healthy Burrow to live up to those hopes.

Burrow's return is also good news for the quarterback, who is set for upcoming extension talks with the Bengals. Burrow is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract and could become the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL on his next deal.