Did Joe Burrow play on Sunday? How Bengals QB fared in preseason debut, return from injury

Jacob Camenker

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Did Joe Burrow play on Sunday? How Bengals QB fared in preseason debut, return from injury image

Joe Burrow returned to NFL action Sunday afternoon for the first time since suffering a torn ACL against Washington in Week 11 of the 2020 NFL season. He had been sidelined for just over nine months as a result of the injury.

The Bengals have been cautious in bringing the now-second-year quarterback back from the issue. However, as coach Zac Taylor explained earlier in the week, the Bengals wanted to make sure they got him some game action before Week 1 of the regular season.

"I think it’s just good to check that box," Taylor said of Burrow seeing game action, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. "You go out there in a real game. You’re in there with the guys, it will be very limited. We’ll be smart with what we do then get him out and then we’ll get ready for Minnesota."

Taylor stayed true to his word. Burrow played very little in the Bengals vs. Dolphins game, but here's how he did in his NFL preseason debut.

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Highlights from Joe Burrow's preseason debut

Burrow saw his first preseason action after the Bengals defense forced a Dolphins three-and-out. As he came onto the field, the Cincinnati crowd gave him a standing ovation

That was his biggest highlight of the afternoon.

Burrow played just one drive for the Bengals on Sunday. He led the Bengals to a three-and-out and threw once during the brief outing. His lone throw was a screen pass that rookie Ja'Marr Chase dropped.

The throw was well located by Burrow, so Chase — who has struggled with drops this preseason — is at fault for the mistake. Nonetheless, Burrow finished the day with just the one incompletion and zero yards.

Still, Burrow accomplished his and Taylor's No. 1 goal during the game. He got back on the field ahead of the regular season. Now, he has a few reps under his belt and can focus on preparing for his Week 1 matchup against the Vikings.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.