After a grueling recovery from turf toe, the Bengals’ franchise cornerstone regains his signature mobility to face a blitz-heavy Buccaneers defense in a high-stakes, Super Bowl-or-bust campaign.
The Cincinnati Bengals open the season this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they will do so with a fully healthy starting quarterback in Joe Burrow.
Burrow suffered a turf toe injury that required surgery in 2025, leading the Bengals to trade for Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco. The injury occurred in Week 2, and the Bengals beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in that game; however, they lost eight of their next nine games, finishing 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the third straight season.
The Bengals franchise quarterback is now saying he is looking forward to being able to scramble this season, as his ability to do so last year, when he returned from injury, was greatly inhibited. He said it’s an important part of his game and helps him play the position, while also admitting he learned a decent amount from having to play without that mobility in 2025.
His most successful rushing season came in 2022, when he carried the ball 75 times for 257 yards and five touchdowns. His longest rush came in the first game of the regular season, a 23-yard rush against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Of course, who can forget the 47-yard touchdown dash against the New York Giants, helping them win 17-7? It was the longest rush of his career by 24 yards. He also had a long run for a second-and-13 conversion in the 2022 AFC Championship Game.
You also have to consider how well Burrow throws on the run. Getting out of the pocket and extending plays is one of his best features. He is great at feeling the pressure and shifting in the pocket, remaining very accurate with good arm strength on off-platform throws.
The Buccaneers blitzed the sixth-most of any team in the NFL in 2025, sending extra rushers on 30.7% of plays. So, it sounds like Burrow having that mobility back is perfect for Cincinnati’s Week 1 game.
Burrow also told reporters that he is more excited for this season than he usually is at this point in the year, which isn’t shocking, given the nature of the 2025 season and how it fell below expectations, combined with the Super Bowl-or-bust attitude of the 2026 season after so many additions on the defensive side of the ball.
He is motivated, healthy and has no reason not to be the best version of himself in 2026. If everything goes to plan, look for Burrow to be in the MVP conversation while leading the Bengals deep into the playoffs.
