Earlier this month, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow appeared to be ramping up his offseason workouts. After an injury-plagued 2023 season that saw him deal with a calf issue to begin the year and then land on injured reserve thanks to a torn ligament in his wrist that required season-ending surgery, it was an encouraging sign as Cincinnati headed into its offseason program.
Even more encouraging: Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher now says that Burrow has no restrictions on his throwing as the team begins organized team activities.
"We designed the whole thing to stay within the constraints of where the medical people think he should be and where he wants to be right now," Pitcher said, via the team's official website. "Nobody is sitting there with a special pitch counter. But we've been smart how we put it together."
Burrow struggled pretty badly to start last season, completing just 57.6% of his passes at an average of 4.8 yards per attempt with only 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions through the Bengals' first four games. Then, he appeared to be hitting his stride, spiking to a 73.4% completion rate, 7.4 yards per attempt, 13 scores, and four picks across the next five-plus games before his season-ending injury.
It marked the second time in four years that Burrow had a season cut short by injury, after he tore his ACL 10 games into his rookie year. In the other two seasons, Burrow first won Comeback Player of the Year and led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance, then made the Pro Bowl and finished fourth in MVP voting. When healthy, he is among the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The key is making sure he stays on the field.
