Bengals' Joe Burrow to Start vs. Cardinals Despite Lingering Calf Injury

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters quarterback Joe Burrow will play through his calf injury and take the field for Sunday's upcoming game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Burrow's health has been a major focal point for the 1-3 Bengals this season, as he suffered a calf injury during training camp and then aggravated it during his team's Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

There was some question about whether he would take the field for Cincinnati's Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The franchise quarterback struggled in those first two games as he dealt with the setback, throwing for a combined 304 yards. While the Bengals bounced back with a win over the Rams, the offense looked lost in Week 4 during a 27-3 defeat to the Tennessee Titans.

Burrow has completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 728 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in four games so far.

The production is a far cry from when he threw for more than 4,400 yards in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022. Cincinnati went to the Super Bowl and then the AFC Championship in those two campaigns.

If the Bengals are going to reach those heights again this season, they will likely need Burrow on the field and healthy. Nobody else on the roster can replicate his impact on the team, and he is expected to be the face of the franchise for years to come.

Cincinnati would likely turn toward the unproven Jake Browning if Burrow was sidelined, but that will not be the case against the Cardinals.