Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has taken all of three preseason snaps in becoming the NFL’s current all-time accuracy leader, but that looks like it is going to change in 2024.
At Monday’s training camp media luncheon, head coach Zac Taylor said that Burrow (wrist) has been cleared for contact when workouts start Wednesday and unlike last year, he expects to get his offensive starters some snaps.
That was pretty much dictated by the calf injury Burrow suffered in the camp’s second practice and virtually wiped out his preseason. The only offensive starters who played in one practice game were right tackle Jonah Williams, making a position switch and coming off surgery, and tight end Drew Sample, also coming off surgery and looking to get a game under his belt.
As veterans like center and captain Ted Karras emphasize getting out of the gate quickly to counter the 0-2 starts of the past two seasons, the Bengals have scheduled for the first time ever two joint practices in the same preseason.
They head to Chicago for their second preseason game on Aug. 17 at Soldier Field after an Aug. 15 practice with the Bears at Halas Hall. Then on Aug. 20, the Bengals work against the Colts at the Kettering Health Practice Fields before their Aug. 22 preseason finale at Paycor Stadium.
“I’m anticipating playing our guys. How much, how many games, is to be determined,” Taylor said. “The schedule is a little quirky with the second and third games being kind of back-to-back, and we’re practicing with both those teams, as well, so you get good work there. Certainly, I do see our starters playing at some point. How much or little will kind of be dictated through the first two weeks of practice and how I feel about that.”
