The Cincinnati Bengals typically get out of the gates slow, going 0-2 to start the season four times in six years since drafting Joe Burrow.
This year, they started 2-0 only for that to be overshadowed with Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury that will sideline him for at least three months.
With yet another injury to their franchise quarterback, it appears to be another wasted year of Burrow’s prime, and more importantly, his health remains in jeopardy.
Who’s To blame?
A torn ACL and MCL in his left knee ended his rookie season early. In year four, a torn ligament in his right wrist also cut short another season.
Now, Burrow is expected to miss a few months with a turf toe injury, making it his third season with a major injury in six seasons.
It’s difficult to correlate poor offensive line play relating to the quarterback getting injured.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1967558361697902797
Sometimes, it’s just freak plays.
Tom Brady was hit low in 2008 and tore his ACL. The combination of Brady getting the ball out quick consistently and elite pass protection helped him not get sacked as much.
It makes sense to put some blame on the Bengals offensive line for putting wear and tear on Burrow’s body – as they’ve never been ranked at least above average as a unit.
It’s just unfortunate Burrow has taken some gruesome sacks.
Back To 2021
Going back to the 2021 NFL draft, the Bengals selected wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. At the time, critics believed the Bengals needed to prioritize the offensive line and select tackle Pensi Sewell.
Chase turned into a terrific pick for the Bengals. He was the triple crown winner in 2024 – leading the league in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns.
The idea of picking Sewell shouldn’t be overblown.
An offensive line works as a unit. While Cincinnati could have selected a cornerstone tackle, they still have to build the rest of the offensive line. With a talent like Burrow at quarterback, they don’t need an elite offensive line in pass protection; just an average offensive line would be sustainable.
After selecting Chase, the next few years could have gone into building the offensive line. Instead, Burrow signed a massive contract extension.
This indirectly led to the front office having standoffs with key players in Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson.
And that left the offensive line as a non priority in terms of upgrades.
Frank Pollack was the Bengals offensive line coach as well as the run game coordinator. In 2025, Pollack was fired and the Bengals hired Scott Peters, who previously served as the Patriots offensive line coach.
What is a potential solution?
Of course, building a solid offensive line can help cut down the hits, but they’re not correlated with the franchise quarterback going down with long-term injuries.
One of the strategies the Bengals can do to protect Burrow from injury is to run the ball more.
Last year, they were 30th in both total rush attempts (380) and rushing yards per game (92.6).
Two things can co-exist: running the ball more and having an efficient offense.
Final thoughts
The scary thing about Burrow is that he’s not a quarterback that constantly relies on his legs and yet he has had major injuries.
What’s even scarier is that he may have more Comeback Player of the Year awards than championship game appearances.
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