How recent injury changed Joe Burrow’s career outlook: ‘I’ve been through a lot’
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow turned 29 on Wednesday, but he wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. He acknowledged that “there’s a lot going on right now” during a low-key press conference in which he also shared a new perspective following his most recent injury.
“It certainly doesn’t change my desire to win,” said Burrow, who is preparing for his third game after missing nine weeks with turf toe. “You know, if I’m going to keep doing this, I have to have fun. You know, I’ve been through a lot, and if it’s not fun, then why am I doing it? That’s the mindset I’m trying to bring to the table.”
Burrow, following a tough road loss to the Buffalo Bills, was asked if it was difficult to have fun given his injury and the Bengals’ 4-9 record.
“Definitely,” he said heading into Sunday’s home game against the Baltimore Ravens.
When healthy, Burrow has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since entering the league in 2020. But health has largely eluded him thus far in his career.
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A knee injury sidelined him for the second half of his rookie season. Burrow led the Bengals to the Super Bowl the following year, but he suffered a sprained MCL during Cincinnati’s Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
After nursing that injury during the offseason, Burrow missed a significant portion of training camp after undergoing an emergency appendectomy for a ruptured appendix. A year later, Burrow missed just over a month after injuring his calf on the first day of training camp.
During the Bengals’ tenth game of the 2023 season, Burrow suffered a wrist injury that required season-ending surgery. He returned in 2024 and led the NFL with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns en route to winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year for a second time.
“It’s definitely something to think about,” Burrow said when asked about the risk-reward element of playing through an injury. “This is what life is like as a professional athlete, no different than basketball, MMA and baseball. This is what we chose. [We] make a lot of sacrifices, and your body is often one of them.”
Given all of his injuries, it’s easy to see why Burrow has decided to put more emphasis on having fun as long as he continues to play.
“It’s just a reflection on a lot of things I’ve done and experienced in my career,” he said. “I think I’ve been through more than most and definitely not easy on the brain or the body. So, I just try to have fun doing it.”
Burrow is often compared to Andrew Luck, the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback and No. 1 overall pick who retired at age 29 after injuries diminished his desire to continue playing. And while Burrow’s comments will undoubtedly evoke further comparisons to Luck, he said nothing Wednesday that would suggest he’s considering hanging up his cleats any time soon.
Burrow, who is under contract through 2029, is likely frustrated with his team’s current situation. Burrow underwent a grueling rehabilitation process in order to recover from his toe injury sooner than expected. He hoped the Bengals would win enough games without him that they could legitimately make the playoffs when he returned.
That didn’t happen, however, as the Bengals (who were 2-0 at the time of his injury) only won one game during his absence. And even though their playoff hopes are still technically alive, that doesn’t give Burrow much comfort.
“I don’t think anyone is really thinking about the playoffs right now,” he said. “It’s within our reach, but it’s within reach, so we have to keep doing what we’re doing and try to improve.”
While the majority of speakers were somber, Burrow smiled when asked about the Pokémon box he received from his offensive linemen as a birthday present. He was specifically asked what exactly a Pokémon is.
“I’ll let you research that,” he said in a rare moment of pleasure.
