Joey Franchise will be on the mend for a bit -- exactly how long remains to be seen.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will miss "several weeks" due to a right calf strain, head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Friday afternoon.
When pressed for a more specific timetable, Taylor did not provide one, stating, "several weeks is several weeks." NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported that it's likely Burrow will not miss Week 1 at the Cleveland Browns.
Burrow sustained the injury during Thursday's practice and was carted off the field.
In Burrow's training camp absence, Bengals QB reps will go to Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning and the team will add a quarterback, Taylor said. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that Cincy plans to sign former XFL QB Reid Sinnett following a workout.
Though it's arduous to tab Friday's news as good news, it certainly alleviates some of the worst fears for the Bengals as the franchise quarterback still has more than five weeks before kickoff of the 2023 season to recover, which one would hope fits into the "several weeks" window Taylor provided.
Prior to Thursday's injury news, Burrow's name was atop the news cycle as he was amid extension talks with the Bengals. How or if this will affect Burrow's contract negotiations remains to be seen.
Burrow was hobbled during an 11-on-11 session in which he pumped to his left and scrambled to his right before injuring his right leg. He was clearly in pain as he skipped on his left leg before taking a seat on the practice field.
The 26-year-old Burrow has quickly ascended from the 2020 NFL Draft's No. 1 overall pick to one of the top quarterbacks in the game.
Over the previous two seasons, he has thrown for north of 4,400 yards and 34-plus touchdowns in each campaign and earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2022. Burrow has led the Bengals to a Super Bowl berth in 2021 and back-to-back division titles for the first time in franchise history.
However, injuries aren't novel to Burrow, whose promising rookie campaign ended with an ACL tear (to his left knee). He also dealt with an appendectomy at the start of last year's camp.
For now, though, Friday's news was likely as positive as it could be after Thursday's scare.
