The wrist injury that ended Joe Burrow’s 2023 season understandably has Cincinnati Bengals fans on edge.
And that led some social media detectives to find clues indicating that the star quarterback was still hampered by the injury during Sunday’s Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots.
As shown by the CBS broadcast, Burrow reached to pick up a water bottle at one point during the game. The manner in which the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner picked up the bottle, however, led to some speculation that he was doing so while favoring his right wrist.
Joe Burrow might be cooked or that’s the heaviest Gatorade bottle of all time pic.twitter.com/Wo1yd5MGAI
— Mike (@MikeForcella) September 10, 2024
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Burrow was asked about the now-viral clip. And in responding, the LSU product downplayed any lingering effects from his wrist injury, which was officially diagnosed as as a ligament tear.
“I picked it up weird?” Burrow said responding to the reporter’s question. “I don’t know, I drank water. I can’t say I’ve seen that or know what anybody’s talking about.”
.@JoeyB responds to the water bottle scandal. pic.twitter.com/x8kKQqMxbF
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 11, 2024
While Burrow has insisted he’s healthy, his 21-for-29, 164-yard performance against the Patriots apparently left many fans looking for explanations. But based on his comments on Wednesday, the Bengals offense’s struggles aren’t the result of his wrist, nor was his handling of the water bottle an indication that was the case.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.