Last year was a season to forget for Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow tore a ligament in his throwing wrist during Cincy's Week 11 loss against AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. The injury forced Burrow to miss the club's final seven games of the season, and in reality, ended the team's hopes of a deep playoff run.
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One of the hottest topics in the entire NFL is the status of Burrow's 2019 National Championship winning teammates at LSU and star wide receiver, Ja'Marr Chase. The 2021 first-round pick held out of the Bengals' entire off-season program, training camp, and pre-season as the All-Pro wideout looks for a new deal, which would likely have him right near fellow 2019 national champion and fellow LSU Tiger, Justin Jefferson, who signed a four-year, $140 million deal, earlier this summer.
Fast forward to Thursday, Burrow spoke with the media ahead of the Bengals' Week 1 tilt against the New England Patriots. According to NFL Network's Ian Rappoport, regardless of missing the entire summer due to his holdout, Burrow believes his top target will be ready to go on Sunday afternoon.
Chase made his 2024 on-field debut for the Bengals during Wednesday and Thursday's practices, albeit in a limited capacity. If Chase were to suit up on Sunday afternoon, the standout playmaker could be on a bit of a pitch count rather than his normal 90% usage rate.
The Cincinnati Bengals kick-off their 2024 campaign when they host the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon (1:00 p.m. EDT/10:00 a.m. PDT) on CBS.
