Bengals injury report: Did Joe Burrow have undisclosed wrist injury before 'Thursday Night Football'?

Dan Treacy

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Bengals injury report: Did Joe Burrow have undisclosed wrist injury before 'Thursday Night Football'? image

Social media sleuths caught something notable in a video tweeted by the Bengals on Wednesday: In the background, Joe Burrow appeared to be wearing a brace or sleeve on his hand and wrist. 

The Bengals ultimately deleted the post, raising eyebrows, but Burrow started the team's "Thursday Night Football" game against the Ravens without issue — until the second quarter. 

Burrow appeared to be in significant pain one play after a hit from Jadeveon Clowney, favoring his throwing hand. He tried to warm up on the sideline but couldn't get a good grip on the ball and was seen shaking his head.

Burrow walked back to the locker room and didn't play for the remainder of the half. The Bengals labeled Burrow as questionable to return with a wrist injury, and was later ruled out. He will miss the remainder of the 2023 season after an MRI confirmed a torn ligament in his right wrist.

MORE: Latest injury updates on Joe Burrow

It's not uncommon for a quarterback to deal with hand and wrist issues, even if they're minor, but what made the since-deleted social media video so peculiar was the fact that Burrow never surfaced on the injury report with any kind of wrist issue.

In discussing the injury on Friday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor called Burrow's wrist wrap "completely unrelated" to his season-ending injury.

The video could be enough to get in some trouble with the league. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the league is investigating why Burrow wasn't listed on the injury report after the picture showed something on his wrist.

The NFL has begun cracking down on the way teams use injury reports as its partnerships with fantasy and betting sites grow. In October, the league questioned the Falcons after RB Bijan Robinson played sparingly against the Buccaneers despite not being listed on the injury report.

In that case, according to Schefter, the Falcons said Robinson was dealing with headaches that didn't begin until the night before the game and claimed they expected him to play until they persisted. Schefter reported that injury report violations have led to fines; it's not clear whether Atlanta was found to have committed a violation. 

In the Bengals' case, evidence of a brace or sleeve on Burrow's wrist a day before he exited with a wrist injury could certainly be enough to draw questions from the league. 

Bengals injury report

The Bengals already entered Thursday night's game with a key absence, as WR Tee Higgins was inactive for his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, WR Ja'Marr Chase was active despite entering the Bengals' Week 10 matchup with a back injury.

With Burrow and Higgins out, backup QB Jake Browning will have to lean heavily on Chase along with Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, and Andrei Iosivas to round out Cincinnati's wide receiver group.

The Bengals received better injury news before Thursday's game, as star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson was able to suit up despite suffering a hyperextended knee four days earlier in the loss to Houston. 

Burrow's injury, of course, overshadows everything else for the Bengals, and questions will persist regarding whether the team already knew he was dealing with hand or wrist pain leading up to the game in Baltimore.

To make matters worse, Cincinnati lost CB Cam Taylor-Britt to a quad injury against the Ravens as well. 

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.