Hearts skipped a beat yesterday afternoon at Paycor Stadium when Joe Burrow was seen limping off the field. The Cincinnati Bengals’ star quarterback is now expected to miss a significant stretch of the season due to a foot injury, which means Ja’Marr Chase will now have to build chemistry with Jake Browning as the new leader of the offense.
Although Zac Taylor’s team currently sits at 2-0 and holds the top spot in the AFC North, the road ahead is filled with uncertainty. With Burrow sidelined, the true test of this Bengals squad is only just beginning.
Since entering the NFL, Chase has proven to be the perfect partner for his former LSU teammate. That’s why, when speaking to the media, the talented wide receiver addressed the challenging situation his team now faces moving forward.
“It’s a rollercoaster,” he said, via the team’s website. “Every game is going to be a rollercoaster. Every week from here on out, we’ve got to focus and execute. That’s the only thing. Our quarterback got [knocked] down, we’ve got to [say] ‘Next man up,’ and it’s on from there.”
Resilience as the driving force
In the NFL, teams are often forced to overcome major setbacks — most of them injury-related. Right now, it’s the Bengals who find themselves in that position with Burrow sidelined, and head coach Zac Taylor knows that resilience has to be a defining trait of this roster.
“The resilient group found a way. It feels like that’s what this year is turning into already. Just a group that believes in each other and never flinches even when things are difficult,” the HC said.
“They just looked each other in the eye in the second half and said, ‘We’re going to figure out a way to win this game.’ And that’s exactly what they did, and I’m really proud of them.”
Will the Bengals add another QB?
With Joe Burrow’s injury now confirmed and expected to keep him sidelined for several months, the Bengals are now racing against the clock to add another quarterback to their depth chart. Jake Browning appears to be the frontrunner for the starting role, but a last-minute move by the front office cannot be ruled out.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, via his official account on X (formerly Twitter), the franchise is currently in talks to sign a free-agent quarterback in the immediate future.
“The Bengals have been calling around to other free-agent quarterbacks since after Joe Burrow’s injury, knowing they will have to add at least one more to their roster.”