Bengals' Joe Burrow on Wrist Injury: 'Just Another Stage on the Journey of Life'

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow reacted Friday to the news he will not play again in the 2023 season.

"Just another stage on the journey of life," Burrow wrote on Instagram.

Burrow suffered a season-ending torn ligament in his right wrist Thursday during a 34-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The injury is "likely" to necessitate surgery, according to The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr.

Burrow recorded a 5-5-0 record and 66.8 percent pass completion rate for 2,309 yards and 15 touchdowns prior to his injury.

The Bengals will lean on quarterback Jake Browning in Burrow's absence.

Burrow has struggled with injuries throughout 2023, beginning the season limited by a training-camp calf injury he aggravated again in Week 2. The Bengals went on to start the season 1-3.

He told the Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway ahead of Week 5 the injury was impacting his movement in the pocket.

Taylor said around the same time it was "probably very difficult" for Burrow to deal with the limitations of his injury.

Those difficulties are set to increase from here. Burrow is likely looking at surgery followed by weeks of physical therapy, according to a surgeon at OrthoCincy (h/t WKRC's Liz Bonis and Megan Burgasser.)

With Burrow sidelined and AFC North ground lost with the defeat to the Ravens, the Bengals' hopes of an appearance in the 2023 postseason have taken a hit.

Perhaps even more concerning for Cincinnatti is the potential long-term impact of the injury on Burrow, who just two months ago became the highest-paid player in NFL history by signing a seven-year, $310 million contract.

In addition to three years fully guaranteed for $146 million, Burrow was promised $219 million in injury guarantees over five years, per NBC Sports' Mike Florio.

Prior to the deal, the Bengals did not guarantee contracts for injury any more than a single year in advance, according to Florio.

Those terms could become a concern for the Bengals as their starting quarterback suffers the second season-ending injury of his four-season career. Burrow's 2020 season also ended early after the quarterback suffered a knee injury in Week 11 of his rookie campaign.