Joe Burrow Joins List of NFL QBs With Season-Ending Injuries This Year

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will miss the remainder of the 2023 NFL season after tearing a ligament in his right wrist, head coach Zac Taylor announced Friday.

Burrow said he felt a "pop" in his wrist while throwing a touchdown pass during Cincinnati's 34-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. The play before, he landed on the wrist after taking a hit. The Pro Bowler left the game in the second quarter and did not return. Amazon's broadcast showed him in pain while attempting to grip and throw a football just before he jogged to the locker room.

Taylor said Burrow will likely need surgery to repair the torn ligament. The 26-year-old QB said Friday that he had a feeling after the game that the injury was significant.

"I've been through stuff like this before," said Burrow, who suffered a season-ending knee injury as a rookie. "It's nothing new. Like I said, it's football. Stuff like this happens. You've just got to learn to live with it. I've talked a lot about leaning on your support system and I've got a great [one]. Great friends, great family, great teammates. Not ideal, but I've got what it takes, and the people around me have what it takes, to get it done."

The Bengals dropped to 5-5 with their loss to the Ravens and face an uphill climb if they want to reach the postseason. And that battle just got a lot tougher without Burrow, whom Cincinnati made the highest-paid player in NFL history, by average annual value, in September.

"This season is far from over," Taylor said at his Friday press conference.

With Burrow out, the Bengals will turn to Jake Browning at quarterback. The former undrafted free agent will make his first career start in Cincinnati's next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 26. Browning entered the league in 2019 and threw his first NFL touchdown pass in Thursday night's loss. He finished 8-of-14 passing for 68 yards and a score against the Ravens.

This marks the end of a frustrating season for Burrow, who dealt with a calf injury over the summer and for the first chunk of the regular season. And the former Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU is just the latest starting quarterback to suffer a significant injury this season.

Other Serious QB Injuries This Season

From Justin Fields to Derek Carr to Matthew Stafford — and a variety of others — injuries at quarterback have been too common during the 2023 season. But those signal-callers have avoided season-ending ailments to this point.

The same can't be said for Burrow and five other QBs (with one possible exception).

Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns: Not a great week for the two Ohio teams in the AFC North. Watson was ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury. That means the two highest-paid QBs in terms of guaranteed money in their current contracts are both out for the season with injuries.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings: Cousins tore his right Achilles during a Week 8 win over the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings, oddly enough, have kept their winning streak going in their starter's absence, having won five games in a row, including the last two under the newly acquired "Passtronaut" Joshua Dobbs.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants: Jones is out for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee suffered in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders. That was the QB's first game back after missing three contests with a neck injury.

Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts: A promising start to Richardon's rookie season came to a halt when the No. 4 overall pick was shut down in mid-October to undergo shoulder surgery. Richardson suffered an injury to his right AC joint in Week 5. The Florida product threw three touchdowns and ran for four more across his first four NFL starts.

Aaron Rodgers: New York Jets: As just about everyone knows, Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon just four offensive snaps into the season-opener. But the four-time MVP is determined to come back from what is usually a season-ending injury. Rodgers recently said he hopes to rejoin the Jets full time around Thanksgiving.