Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow told the media on Wednesday that he will not play in Sunday’s season finale against the Cleveland Browns, one week after clinching the AFC North for the first time since 2015.
Joe Burrow says he does not plan to play Sunday. It is not because of his knee.
Knee is “sore but not bad, I could play if I needed to.”
Resting for playoffs.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) January 5, 2022
Burrow: “Any time you can get a little break at this point in the season … bodies are starting to wear down a little bit. Rest me this week so I can get back to full strength running around the way I need to be the first round of the playoffs.”
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) January 5, 2022
Burrow hurt his knee near the end of the Bengals’ 34-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17, exiting the field for the final few plays. He was seen walking on the sideline with a pronounced limp, but said after the game that he didn’t expect it to linger or affect him going forward.
In fact, he said that he’d be able to play this week if he needed to, but that head coach Zac Taylor had wanted him to rest.
Burrow on reason for resting: “More a question for Zac. My knee would be good enough to play. My pinky would be good enough to play.”
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) January 5, 2022
It’s a little surprising that Burrow’s not playing if he’s able to. While the Bengals have clinched the AFC North, the No. 1 seed in the AFC has yet to be officially claimed. While it’s a long shot, there is a path for the Bengals to snag that No. 1 seed, which includes benefits like home-field advantage and a first-round bye.
All of these things have to happen this weekend for the Bengals to take that top seed, and some are far more likely than others:
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Chiefs lose to Denver Broncos.
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Tennessee Titans lose to Houston Texans.
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New England Patriots lose to Miami Dolphins or Buffalo Bills beat New York Jets.
Running back Joe Mixon will also reportedly miss Sunday’s game, but not for rest. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mixon is expected to be added to the reserve/COVID-19 list soon.