The Cincinnati Bengals will look to continue their winning ways in Week 2 as head coach Zac Taylor’s group travels to Reliant Stadium to face the Houston Texans.
Cincinnati picked up a 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, and quarterback Joe Burrow was a steady contributor in the victory. Burrow threw for 254 yards and a touchdown, and though he also tossed a pick-six, the former No. 1 overall pick completed 25 of 35 passes and spread the ball around nicely.
The Bengals will need Burrow to be even better in Week 2 against the Texans, but his week of practice isn’t off to a great start on the injury front.
Joe Burrow Headlines Bengals Wednesday Injury Report
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Cincinnati released its initial injury report on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s contest in Houston, and only three players were listed: Burrow, edge rusher Shemar Stewart, and defensive tackle B.J. Hill.
Burrow was dubbed a limited participant with a back injury, while Stewart was a full participant and could make his season debut after missing last week with a knee injury. Hill sat out for rest on Wednesday and should be ready to go for the weekend.
Though Burrow didn’t do much at practice to kick off the week due to his back, the Bengals’ star signal-caller is adamant he’ll play Sunday. In a press conference Wednesday, Burrow said he’s dealing with tightness and game-day soreness.
“I feel good,” Burrow said via Mike Petraglia of CLNS Cincy. “Some normal game day soreness, that’s for sure. But I’ll be all right. I don’t know specifically what play. I didn’t really start feeling it till after the game. That’s typically how it happens.” As for practice Thursday “We’ll see. We’ll see how we feel tomorrow.”
Obviously, Burrow not playing Sunday would be incredibly detrimental to the Bengals’ chances of capturing a big-time victory on the road. However, it sounds like he isn’t worried about his status, but we’ll continue to monitor the situation as the week progresses.
As for Stewart, the Bengals are expecting a Year 2 breakout from the 2025 No. 17 overall pick, so it’s a great sign that he’s back on the practice field in full. Stewart provides Cincinnati with another versatile pass rusher alongside Boye Mafe and Myles Murphy.
