Let the Joe Burrow conspiracy theories begin.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor was quick to dismiss the rumors that quarterback Joe Burrow’s absence is due to the lack of progress on a contract extension, yet he wasn’t as thrilled to give an update on Burrow’s injury progress less than two weeks ahead of the season opener.
Burrow has been sidelined since July 27 with a right calf strain suffered while scrambling during a drill. Burrow was seen grabbing his calf and was later carted off the field.
Taylor is optimistic Burrow will be ready for the opener against the Browns on Sept. 10 because the MVP candidate “has a very healthy body.”
However, when Taylor was asked about Burrow’s timeline and potential return to practice in the upcoming week he gave a brief and blunt answer.
“We’ll see,” he told reporters, according to ESPN.
The fifth-year head coach declined to offer any further explanation.
It only adds to the mystery surrounding Burrow’s status.
He will be entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, making him eligible for an extension.
The Bengals already exercised the fifth-year option on his contract but it’s unclear if any a long-term deal will be made before the start of the season, which has helped foster the theory that Burrow’s sitting out is due to the lack of an extension.
His original four-year deal is worth more than $36 million, according to Spotrac.
Burrow participated in a throwing session ahead of the Bengals’ preseason-opening 36-19 loss to the Packers.
Taylor initially said the quarterback would be out for “several weeks” but later mentioned that Burrow was “progressing as he should,” indicating things were trending in a positive direction.
It’s unclear if that’s still the case for the fourth-year quarterback.
Jake Browning, who has spent the past two seasons with the team’s practice squad after joining Cincinnati in 202, is Burrow’s backup but has yet to see any NFL game action.
The Bengals are also set to sign former Cowboys quarterback Will Grier to the practice squad, according to ESPN, after he lost his spot to Trey Lance when the Cowboys acquired the former first-round pick.
Since arriving in Cincinnati as the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of LSU, Burrow has led the team to the playoffs in two of his three years, along with a Super Bowl appearance in 2022 against the Rams.
Burrow threw for 4,475 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season, earning his first Pro Bowl nod and finishing fourth in MVP voting while guiding Cincinnati to the AFC Championship Game.