Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown said he unsuccessfully tried to talk Joe Burrow out of playing a game early last season.
Ahead of a Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Brown talked with Burrow while driving a golf cart on Cincinnati’s practice field. Brown recalled the conversation in an interview with WCPO 9’s Caleb Noe.
“I try to stay away enough that I don’t get in the way. I don’t want to be a problem for the coaches. In that particular moment, I overstepped and did a dumb thing,” Brown said. “I was convinced [Burrow] shouldn’t play, and he looked like he wanted to play in that game.”
“And I went out there to tell him he wasn’t gonna play. I was gonna make sure he wasn’t gonna play. Whereupon, he played.”
Brown wasn’t upset over Burrow playing. The owner said he still feels “a little bit shame-faced” about his attempt to sideline the star.
A calf injury kept Burrow out of last summer’s training camp and clearly hindered him last fall. He started the 2023 season by tallying just 82 yards on 31 pass attempts in a 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns before reaggravating the injury in a Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
With his status in question, Burrow led the Bengals to a 19-16 win over the Rams on Monday Night Football. Yet the quarterback still didn’t look like himself, going 26-of-49 for 259 yards, no touchdowns, and a pick.
Brown wasn’t alone in wanting Burrow to rest. Ja’Marr Chase also hoped his star teammate would sit out a game.”I didn’t want him to play,” Chase said after the win.
“It just shows that Joe is hard-headed. But he’s a football player.” Although Burrow played through that injury, his season ended when he tore a ligament in his right wrist on Nov. 16. The Bengals missed the playoffs at 9-8 despite winning four of their final seven games behind Jake Browning.
Brown and the Bengals received good news on their star player. Head coach Zac Taylor said Monday that Burrow is cleared for full contact.
