Joe Burrow experienced a rough start to his NFL career when he dealt with a torn ACL and MCL that ended his rookie season in 2020. Then, a troublesome calf injury in 2023 and a season-ending wrist injury later that year forced the Cincinnati Bengals star to go through rehabilitation over and over again. Now, Burrow has started the 2026 season after missing significant time last season due to a turf toe.
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And while the injuries themselves were different, Burrow’s approach to overcoming them evolved each time. During a conversation with Marty Smith ahead of the Bengals’ season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Burrow recalled the lowest point of his NFL career.
“It’s hard to say because the first one was difficult, but you know, I had never had an injury like that at the time,” said Burrow when asked about the lowest point of those injuries.
“So, it was all new, and I was experiencing it for the first time. And I was a young player in this league that hadn’t achieved yet and wanted to, you know, you just take it day by day, and you wake up the next day, and you go and do it again. I didn’t know any better. The second one was difficult because, you know, I knew how hard it was the first time I’d been through it.”
Burrow’s first NFL injury came during his rookie season in 2020, ending a promising campaign against Washington in Week 11. Burrow suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee, with additional damage to the PCL, ending his season after just 10 games.
He underwent reconstructive surgery in December 2020, and the Bengals initially anticipated an eight-to-nine-month recovery. Instead of preparing for his second season, Burrow faced months of rehabilitation.
His second setback came in July 2023, when the QB suffered a right calf strain during training camp. Although he started in Week 1, his season ended after suffering a serious injury that year.
He tore a ligament in his right wrist during the Bengals’ Week 11 game against Baltimore. The injury occurred in the first half after Burrow landed on his wrist and then felt a pop while throwing a touchdown pass to Joe Mixon. An MRI confirmed the ligament tear, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season, and he underwent surgery in November.
In the 2024 season, Burrow recorded the best season of his career, but the Bengals still failed to make the playoffs. The 2025 season had optimism. However, it lasted less than two weeks when Burrow suffered a turf toe injury in a Week 2 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“The last one was hard, but at the same time, I’ve had so many reps at doing it now that I understand what it takes to come back from something like that, come back quickly from something like that, what I can do, the questions I have to ask the doctor about what can I do with the joint, what can I not? And you know, that helped me come back faster than expected,” added Burrow.
He missed the next nine weeks, as the Bengals once again failed to make the postseason. This year, Joe Burrow is returning healthy, with the Bengals making several veteran additions to the roster earlier this offseason. If the quarterback remains healthy, it remains to be seen how he manages to lead the Bengals to success.