Joe Burrow and the Bengals have an even bigger problem than starting the season 0-2

At the start of training camp Cincinnati Bengals Starting signalman Joe Burrow suffered a hard setback when he suffered a calf injury. He missed most of camp and the entire preseason.

Burrow returned to the practice field on August 30 and was able to take the field for Week 1. His performance in the Bengals’ 2023 season opener against the Cleveland Browns was just as bad as the weather. In a 24-3 loss, Burrow completed less than 50 percent of his passes for 82 yards. He was better in a Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, 27-24, but suffered a health setback.

The NFL’s highest-paid player re-injured his calf late in the game on Sunday, reporters later told reporters that he felt the change during the Bengals’ final touchdown drive to cut the deficit to three points.

“We’ll have to wait and see, I’m not sure what it’s going to feel like in the next few days,” Burrow told the media. “It’s quite painful at the moment. We can’t say what it’s going to feel like, so we just have to take it day by day.”

Burrow did his best to be optimistic, but an 0-2 start to the season accompanied by a training camp injury flare-up is a combination that has landed smoothly and left the Bengals reeling. This team started the season with a Super Bowl window that is quickly closing.

With Burrow signing this massive contract, that won’t be the case on the Deep Bengals roster will look the same from next season. The road back to the AFC Championship Game should be tough enough as the Bengals play in the most competitive division in the conference.

Their schedule will ease up a bit over the next few weeks, but not enough to defeat Burrow in street clothes. The Bengals are hosts Los Angeles Rams in week 3 and face it Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Week 4. An 0-2 start is anything but insurmountable. However, an 0-4 start with a weak quarterback could be possible put the Bengals too far back in the standings to make the playoffs.