Allegations against the Cincinnati Bengals regarding the recent injury of Joe Burrow are erupting after the team’s failure to report an alleged pre-existing wrist ailment.
The NFL is no stranger to injuries this season. With many top athletes such as Justin Jefferson and Aaron Rodgers possibly being out for the season, fans are constantly concerned for their favorite players. Unfortunately, Joe Burrow suffered this same fate when he sustained a wrist injury during his Week 11 game against the Baltimore Ravens. After the Bengals lost their star quarterback, questions surfaced surrounding the credibility of the team’s injury reports.
Before the fateful game, a post was made of Joe Burrow exiting the team plane sporting a compression brace around his wrist. While it is unclear what the wrap was for, or if the wrist was injured prior to the start of the game, the Bengals failed to report the injury. The post was quickly deleted, yet the team was unable to avoid the immediate backlash. The NFL launched an ongoing investigation into whether a contract breach was present or if the team is innocent.
Head Coach Zac Taylor chimed in, claiming that Burrow suffered a torn ligament in his wrist during the game.
“He had an acute injury,” Taylor said. “He tore a ligament in his wrist that will likely require surgery and require him to be out for the rest of the season. We’re still gathering more information on that, but that seems to be where it’s headed right now.”
The Bengals claim the injury came up during the game; however, it is still unclear whether the brace was in fact used to support a pre-existing problem. If this is the case, the team could be fined for their failure to report the issue.
The Bengals have released hours of footage in their defense, showing their quarterback practicing with no apparent problems. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network offered some insight on the situation.
“Sources familiar with the organization say the Bengals have turned in hours of footage to the NFL showing that Burrow was healthy prior to the game,” Rapoport wrote. “According to those who have seen the footage, Burrow threw the ball normally during practice, without a brace and took all of his normal reps.”
Burrow affirms the brace was used to prevent blood clots during the flight, and had nothing to do with his wrist.
“This is a completely different thing,” Burrow said.
The Bengals coaches remain persistent in the fact that they followed protocol. The players and medical personnel are all standing by the team, citing the injury as a surprise.
While the NFL shows no signs of a conclusion on the nature of the injury, the question still remains: did the Bengals try to cheat the system, or did they fall victim to an unfortunate coincidence?
