The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback had been running for his life during the preseason – something that was on full display in the team’s preseason Week 2 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
As fans watched the action unfold on ‘Monday Night Football,’ many started questioning whether it was worth letting the star quarterback take unnecessary hits in a game that won’t count for the standings.
The Bengals took a new approach to the preseason in 2025, opting to play their starters in the hopes of avoiding a slow start to the regular season.
Cincinnati owns a 1-11 record in the first two weeks of the regular season since Zac Taylor took over as head coach. They have started each of the last three seasons with an 0-2 record.
That led to a change in strategy, but that strategy could’ve been disastrous if Burrow went down. Here’s a look at the team’s plans for their quarterback in the preseason finale.
Is Joe Burrow playing today?
Burrow will not play in the Bengals’ preseason finale at 1 p.m. ET against the Indianapolis Colts.
Taylor indicated in his news conference on Wednesday that the starters would be sidelined in Week 3.
‘I’m not anticipating any starters playing,’ Taylor told reporters. ‘I haven’t talked in depth with the players about this third game. I’ve talked to Joe, I haven’t specifically told these guys they’re not playing, but they’re not playing.’
Burrow completed 18 of 24 passes in limited action across two preseason games. He’ll finish with 185 yards passing and three touchdowns.
More important for the Bengals, Burrow will also be healthy to begin the season.