“That’s been the goal for me from the beginning,” Burrow said in his first Zoom news conference with local media Tuesday from the podium at Paul Brown Stadium. “They say it’s a nine to 12-month recovery and the first game is exactly nine months from my injury. We are on pace to do it right now. There is obviously a long road ahead and there are opportunities for setbacks along the road, but as far as right now, it’s looking as good as it could for where I am at in the rehab process.”
In the meantime, Burrow is treating rehab like he does everything else – with a competitive mindset of trying to be the best.
The top pick of the 2020 NFL Draft couldn’t get out of bed or do much on his own for the first two weeks after the surgery. By around Week 3 or 4, he was able to start walking on his own and now nearing the six-week post-op mark, “it’s starting to feel pretty normal” walking around.
Burrow said he doesn’t feel any pain while doing his rehab work but the knee will stiffen up if he sits still too long. He recently began doing some body weight squats and in about six weeks, he can begin running and throwing. That 12-week mark is the first big milestone he is eying.
“I am past the worst part,” he said. “The first two weeks you have to get your motion back, so they are tugging and pulling on it and it’s pretty miserable. I’m past all that. It’s kind of all downhill. There are a lot of milestones to hit and I have a long road ahead but it’s not gonna be painful or anything like that. The worst part is over, and the fun part begins.”
The injury itself was “devastating,” Burrow said, noting he was looking forward to the second half of the season for himself and the team. He’s watched the play a couple of times on film but said it’s a waste of time to try to dissect what happened.
Burrow, who at the time was in the discussion for NFL Rookie of the Year, was injured after releasing an incomplete pass to Tyler Boyd in the third quarter of a loss at Washington, when two defenders got to him as the pocket collapsed.
“They just got some penetration,” he said. “…It’s a waste of time and I’m not going to answer any more questions about the intricacies of the injury.”
Joe Burrow News Conference https://t.co/uqK7mX3CSP
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 12, 2021
The former Heisman Trophy winner grew accustomed to dealing with pressure this season and having to learn to release the ball quickly. The Bengals ranked 28th in sacks allowed with 48 and Burrow took 32 of those in less than 10 full games.
Asked about his comfort level with the offensive line and whether he would like to see some additions up front, Burrow only commented on his excitement about the hiring of offensive line coach Frank Pollack.
Burrow said he won’t concern himself with any decisions on new player additions to the line.
“I think everyone was really excited when we hired coach Pollack,” Burrow said. “I don’t know him personally. But I know Joe (Mixon) was really excited. He called me fired up, hootin’ and hollerin’ and was very excited. I know Zac’s excited about the hire. So I think he’ll do a really good job with those guys and I have full faith in that.”
Even after his injury, Burrow remained involved as much as he could with the offense. He was in every meeting the night before games and would watch the film and attend quarterback meetings virtually through the week.
Burrow said it was tough being away and watching games on TV – especially the Monday Night Football win over Pittsburgh – but he looks forward to next season. His goal is to get bigger and stronger so he can improve on the deep ball and is hopeful there will be an in-person offseason program so he can at least watch players run routes.
“I think they did a very good job of understanding what I do well and tailoring it to me early on,” Burrow said. “And I think I stood steps later in the year that allowed us to open up the offense a little bit. The next step is just hitting on those deep balls. We were so efficient in the short passing game that when we start hitting on those deep balls, it’s going to be tough to stop us.”
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