Shock for the Cincinnati Bengals. In practice, superstar Joe Burrow is injured so badly without the help of an opponent that he cannot leave the field under his own power and has to be taken away by car. What happens next?

What happened? After a snap, the 26-year-old quarterback wanted to leave the pocket and get space. Shortly after, Burrow felt a pain, hopped only on his left leg and eventually sat down on the turf.

The initial shock was followed by the first bit of good news. Burrow suffered a calf injury – and not an ACL or Achilles tendon injury as first feared.

At a press conference on Friday, Head Coach Zac Taylor announced: Burrow will be out for “several weeks” but did not give an exact number. The muscle tissue of the right calf was “damaged”.

Burrow will miss the rest of the Bengals’ training camp. He is also ruled out for the preseason – if he was scheduled to play at all.

Whether the NFL start on the second weekend of September is in danger is not yet clear.

Ja’Marr Chase had given a slight all-clear to “The Athletic” on Tuesday: “We always nod to each other. He nodded to me to say he’s OK. He’s a strong guy. “

Again problems with Burrow?

It’s not the first time the Bengals’ preparation has been disrupted by an injury to their playmaker. In 2022, Burrow had to undergo an appendectomy during camp. In 2021, he battled back from a torn ACL.

Despite all the problems, the 26-year-old had recently blossomed into one of the league’s best players. In three NFL seasons so far, Burrow has 11,774 passing yards and 82 touchdowns (with only 31 interceptions).