Since coming into the league, Joe Burrow has firmly cemented himself in the upper echelons of quarterbacks in the NFL. Going against the likes of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback has gotten his fair share of licks in as well. However, throughout his career, Burrow has also been levied with one common criticism.
Every year, without fail, his teams get off to extremely slow starts, with the superstar quarterback taking some time to get into peak form. For a lot of folks, the biggest reason for that speed bump is head coach Zac Taylor’s insistence on not suiting up starters in the preseason. However, after two straight years of missing the playoffs, Burrow himself is putting pressure on the organization to let him get a few reps before the season begins.
Will We Finally See Joe Burrow Light Up the Preseason?
The situation about Burrow’s unusual start to the season first came to light in 2022. That year, he started proceedings with an uncharacteristically brutal four-interception game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. From there, a pattern started to emerge.
The slow starts continue pic.twitter.com/hvtMpa6x3E
— Joe Burrow Fan Club (@JoeyBClub) September 8, 2024
In his career, Burrow is still just 1-9 through the first two weeks of a season. The fault, too, isn’t on the team, but on the two-time Pro Bowler as well. In those 10 games, he has recorded just 15 total touchdowns against a tally of 11 turnovers.
As a result, fans want to see the superstar quarterback show up during preseason, with a chance to round into form right from the start of the year. However, Taylor remains against the idea, even with evidence mounting against him.
Now, as The Athletic reported, the two-time Comeback Player of the Year winner is starting to clamour for a chance to play in the preseason. He began by stating that it is a conversation he’s had before, but to no avail.
“Coaches know how I’ve felt about that and how I’ve always thought that that would benefit me, for sure.” He understood the concern that coaches had regarding physicality and injuries, especially after injuries had limited him to just 10 games twice in five years.
But, Burrow doesn’t think it is a concern he fully believes in. “I think other positions, you have to be a little careful, because how physical that those positions are, but for me, those reps are valuable.” Going further, he went into detail about the mental impact the preseason had on players.
“I think you approach (practice) a little differently when you start to get closer to the preseason games. That’ll feel more like a game week for me. Obviously, you’re still doing training camp practices and trying to get the most out of those, but mindset-wise, when you’re traveling to these preseason games, it’s going to be a little different mindset, a little different feeling. I think that would be positive.”
After five years, it is worth a shot for the Bengals. This season, they’re walking in with a ton of contractual drama in the offseason, all while trying to make it back to the postseason for the first time in three years.
Having Burrow in top form is going to be critical to that revitalization. Maybe a shot in the preseason is the best way to make that a reality come Week 1 of the 2025 season.
