Joe Burrow Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

It sounds like Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow wanted to play in the team’s final preseason game of the year against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night, but the team did not seem to think it was necessary.

During his postgame press conference, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zach Taylor said that the possibility of Joe Burrow and the team’s other starters playing in the game was “on the table at times” but they ultimately decided not to play their first-team players after a strong joint practice against the Colts earlier in the week.

“I thought the Colts practice was one of his best of the year,” Taylor said via a transcript from the team obtained by Pro Football Talk. “Reminiscent of many of the games he played last year when he was healthy. The accuracy, the decision making and the ball not touching the ground. To finalize training camp, we still have work to do. We still have two weeks of practice, but I thought they kind of put the nail in the coffin in training camp. That was the right way to do it.”

So the next time fans see Burrow on the field will be when the Bengals begin the season next month.

[Pro Football Talk]