Bengals QB Joe Burrow’s ‘sneaky’ take on wild struggles after injury scare

After a disappointing 0-3 start to the season, the Cincinnati Bengals finally got their first win of the season on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 34-24. In the win, Joe Burrow threw for 232 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but his two highlight reel plays of the game were wild, no-pressure struggles, including this one:

After the game, Burrow was asked about some of his moves with his feet and he joked, “You could call me sneakily athletic” (h/t Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated). Of course, sports fans know that “sneaky athletic” is often shorthand for “white and athletic.” This term is usually reserved for white quarterbacks who can move or white basketball players who can jump.

One of Burrow’s greatest strengths, aside from his incredibly accurate right arm and brilliant touch, is his deft navigation in the pocket and his ability to control the football. The Bengals have used well-timed quarterback runs at key points in recent years, benefiting from Burrow’s unheralded legs. While at LSU, Burrow rushed for 368 yards and 5 touchdowns during his Heisman Trophy campaign. Since arriving in the NFL, he has scored ten touchdowns on the ground.

The funny thing is that Burrow was actually one of the highest-rated dual-threat quarterbacks in the 2015 recruiting class, as he scored 27 rushing touchdowns during his high school career. So yeah, “sneaky sporty” sounds about right.

On the other hand, concerns about Burrow have long been related to his health. Burrow suffered a torn ACL/MCL during his rookie season and a troubling calf strain in training camp last year. Even this season, a wrist injury that ended Burrow’s 2023 season after 10 games has dragged into 2024. Against the Panthers, Burrow was seen limping early after a big hit, but the 27-year-old raises concerns about how limp he looked. The early game shouldn’t keep Bengals fans sleepless.

“I was kicked. “That didn’t feel great,” Burrow said after the game, according to Morrison. But nothing crazy. We’ll see what it looks like tomorrow. Maybe a little hurt, but nothing crazy.”

For the next 48 hours, Bengals fans will be holding their breath hoping that Joe Burrow will be at 100 percent next Sunday when the Bengals host the Baltimore Ravens.