Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he plans to play some starters in the first preseason game against Tampa Bay on Saturday. This includes quarterback Joe Burrow, who has played in only one preseason game in his four NFL seasons, mainly due to injuries.
“I’m excited for it,” Burrow said. “I’m just excited to get these reps.”
Taylor mentioned he is unsure how long or how many starters will play on Saturday. “The offense and the defense, I expect both sides to play, but we’ll look at what it looks like on both sides,” he said.
“Because obviously, we’re down a few bodies on defense. I’ll allow for some flexibility as we get closer to the game and see what shakes out.”
Taylor was referring to defensive end Cam Sample, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Starting defensive ends Trey Hendrickson (chest bruise) and Sam Hubbard (knee) are listed as day to day.
This will be Burrow’s first live game action since his 2023 season ended on November 10 when he had surgery for a torn ligament in his throwing hand.
“I’m not where I want it to be, but I would say that about a lot of parts of our team right now,” Burrow said. “But that’s training camp. We are improving every single day. We got three weeks left to accumulate reps, to learn and grow from all of those. I’m really happy with where we’re at.”
