Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters that quarterback Joe Burrow was carted off the field during Thursday’s practice with an injury to his right calf. Sources say that an early assessment indicates that Burrow is dealing with a calf strain. Burrow, a fourth-year player out of LSU, is coming off his best season as a pro and is in contract discussions with the Bengals.

Burrow was rolling to his right during drills when he pulled up short in what appeared to be a noncontact injury, and was later carted off the field.  When Taylor was asked about the compression sleeve Burrow wore around his calf, which he wasn’t wearing after the team’s first practice of training camp Wednesday, he said that Burrow opted to wear it Thursday. The Bengals’ coach later said after the incident: “It was 10 minutes ago, so we don’t have any more information. We’ll get more information as we go.” Taylor also said that some players experience soreness after the first day of practice but added that, over the course of practice, Burrow felt good.

Burrow has dealt with injuries for three straight training camps — in 2021, Burrow was recovering from a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee that ended his rookie season in 2020, when he entered the league during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Burrow suffered a ruptured appendix that required surgery days before the start of training camp. On Wednesday, Burrow was asked about being healthy and having a normal training camp for the first time in his career: “Knock on wood — I feel great  This time last year I was sitting in a hospital bed. It’s good to be out there with the guys. Excited about where we’re at.”

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