Former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee on top of other damage roughly three months ago in last year’s matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Football Team.
There’s a long road to recovery associated with an injury as severe as that, but Burrow is making strides, and the hope is that he can return to the field in Cincinnati by Week 1 of the regular season.
Burrow told reporters in January that he would be able to start running again at the 10-12 week mark. Feb. 10 marked 10 weeks since his surgery.
In that interview, according to Burrow, this stage of his recovery is not necessarily about putting on additional weight — but gaining strength and being able to get his mobility back.
[lawrence-related id=15727]
“I think about gaining muscle and getting stronger. Staying lean is big so I can stay mobile. Getting stronger is more so the goal than gaining weight,” Burrow said.
Despite how daunting the process can be for players, Burrow has kept a sense of optimism.
“There is obviously a long road ahead and there are opportunities for setbacks along the road, but as far as right now, it’s looking as good as it could for where I am at in the rehab process,” Burrow said. “The worst part is over, and the fun part begins.”
Burrow was on pace to be Rookie of the Year before his season came to an unfortunate halt, completing 65% of his passes for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns and 142 rushing yards with three scores on the ground.
He did all of that behind a struggling offensive line — an issue the Bengals should certainly address in the offseason in Burrow is to stay healthy and get the offense going on a consistent basis.
[vertical-gallery id=15607]