Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been known to put his body on the line in an effort to make plays and he’s been vocal about the risk simply being part of the game.
But so far this year, Burrow has been notably more conservative with his body. There have been memorable rushing plays and pocket magic, yes, but he’s not generally diving headfirst at defenders like he might’ve done over the last few years.
And when discussing a roughing-the-passer shot Burrow took last weekend against the Saints, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com that the team is happy with where Burrow’s at on this topic:
“You know, whether he was trying to intentionally take that shot or not and draw a flag, who knows? But him being smarter on when to take a risk, I think he’s realized for the longevity of his career and the importance to our franchise, that you carry that as the quarterback and to put yourself in harm’s way and unnecessarily is, you know, not very smart.”
After the knee injury as a rookie and other bangs and bruises, never mind being hospitalized over the summer with the ruptured appendix, it’s no wonder Burrow might play it a little less risky now.
And frankly, the tradeoff is surely just fine for Bengals fans. The slight chance at a major play that likely carries big injury risk compared to Burrow remaining on the field for all 17 games (and then some?) probably isn’t worth it.
