Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will not play against Washington

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced that quarterback Joe Burrow will not play against Washington during a Monday press conference. Burrow continues to rehab from an ACL injury sustained in Week 11 of his rookie season. He was cleared to resume football activities in July and has practiced with the team throughout training camp.

Zac Taylor tells us QB Joe Burrow will not play against Washington.

— Marisa Contipelli (@BengalsMarisa) August 16, 2021

Burrow is the only player ruled out for Friday’s game at this time, according to Taylor. The Bengals will play their final preseason game against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 29, providing one last opportunity to evaluate the roster and potential get Burrow live reps.

Burrow was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after a breakout season at LSU which led to a national championship. The Athens, Ohio native won the starting job for his hometown Bengals in week one of his rookie season.

He finished the 2020 season with 2,688 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games, adding 142 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Options at quarterback

The Bengals have three other quarterbacks on the roster, looking to earn the backup role this season. Brandon Allen started five games for the Bengals last season and Kyle Shurmur spent the season on the practice squad. Rookie quarterback Eric Dungey made the 90-man roster after an impressive mini-camp performance

Allen and Shurmur split the snaps in Cincinnati’s first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Allen went 7-of-10 for 77 yards and an interception while Shurmur went 12-of-19 for 108 yards and an interception.

2021 outlook

In addition to Burrow’s return from injury, the Bengals bring back running back Joe Mixon to the backfield. Despite losing veteran wide receiver A.J. Green in free agency, the team invested their first-round draft pick on Burrow’s former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase. Tee Higgins, one of Burrow’s favorite targets last season, and veteran Tyler Boyd round out the starting lineup at the skill positions.

The offensive line adds free agent tackle Riley Reiff and returns tackle Jonah Williams, who dealt with injuries last season. The team spent draft picks on guards Jackson Carman and D’Ante Green this year, also adding former Georgia center Trey Hill on day three of the draft.

The offense will look to make a leap in 2021 with Burrow back behind center. Protecting their franchise cornerstone and providing him weapons appear to be the priority in Cincinnati as they build toward the future.