The biggest question heading into Monday night’s Rams-Bengals game isn’t who will win, but whether Joe Burrow will be on the field. The Bengals’ star quarterback reinjured his calf in Week 2 and is uncertain to play this week.
He was held out of practice Thursday and was limited Friday, so his status is very much up in the air. Aaron Donald and the Rams are preparing as if he’ll play, with Donald saying Friday that he thinks Burrow will be out there because he’s such a tough player.
Buy Rams Tickets“I expect him to play. I know he is a tough guy,” Donald said. “So my mindset is he’s going to be out there healthy and playing how he needs to play. So our job is to go through this game plan, obviously practice it, get used to it, feel comfortable with it, understand what we need to do, and then execute it come Monday.”
Burrow’s teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, doesn’t feel the same way Donald does. Chase told reporters Friday that not only would he rather Burrow sit until he’s 100%, but he doesn’t think the quarterback will suit up on Monday night.
“If I had to guess, I would say ‘no,’” Chase said. “I’ve been tellin’ him ‘no.’ My answer never changed. I told him back then, ‘Don’t play until you 100 percent ready to play.’ So I don’t know what he’s doing.”
Asked Ja'Marr Chase if he had to guess if Joe Burrow plays Monday. Chase was his usual honest and forthcoming self Friday. pic.twitter.com/6rh96QLr94
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 22, 2023
It would be a huge break for the Rams if Burrow doesn’t play, which would thrust Jake Browning into the starting lineup for Cincinnati. That doesn’t mean the Rams would be guaranteed to win, but it would certainly push things in their favor.
As of now, Los Angeles is a 2.5-point underdog but that could swing in the other direction if Burrow is ruled out.
