NFL PLAYER NEWS

Burrow expects knee to be 100% by training camp

Field Level Media

June 16, 2021 at 1:56 am.

Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow has maintained throughout his recovery from left knee surgery that he intends to be ready with no limitations when the Bengals open the season at home against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 12.

On Tuesday, Burrow, who tore multiple ligaments at Washington on Nov. 22, perhaps accelerated news about his recovery, said he expects to be fully healthy by the time training camp opens in late July. He estimated the injury to be about 85 percent healed, according to ESPN.

“The knee still has a little ways to go, but my upper body, my right leg, everything else feels better than it ever has before,” Burrow said. “When I’m on the field and executing, I’m playing better than I ever have before. So I’ll continue the program we were on and get back to 100 percent before camp.”

Ten practices into the offseason, Burrow said he has had no difficulties with the knee. His comments came at the team’s mandatory minicamp in Cincinnati.

Burrow, whom the Bengals took with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of LSU, started the first 10 games last season, completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 2,688 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for three touchdowns.

The Bengals organization, heavily criticized for the inexperience and inability of its offensive line in Burrow’s first season, expect improvements on a few fronts. He was sacked 32 times.

The team signed standout offensive tackle Riley Reiff, a nine-year veteran who has played the last four seasons with the Vikings. Cincinnati also made Clemson offensive tackle Jackson Carman its second-round pick this spring, and used a fourth-round selection on East Carolina offensive tackle D’Ante Smith.

Notably, the Bengals, who drafted No. 5 overall in April, passed on Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell and chose a wide receiver and former LSU teammate of Burrow’s, Ja’Marr Chase.

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