Indications that the Bengals would hold off on putting quarterback Joe Burrow into game action were proven false on Wednesday when head coach Zac Taylor announced that Burrow will start against the Dolphins on Sunday.
It will be Burrow’s first game action since tearing his ACL last season and Burrow told reporters on Wednesday afternoon he thinks even a limited number of snaps will be a positive for the team’s preparations for Week One of the regular season. Burrow said his teammates need to hear him call plays during a game even though he’s done it in many practices and that everyone will benefit from an experience similar to the one they’ll have on September 12.
“This was the plan the whole time,” Burrow said. “We just didn’t want to tell you guys. I’m excited to get out there and have game-type feel. I think it’s important going into the last preseason game to be as close as you can to having a game-like feel. I’m going to be in the huddle during Game One so I need to be out there for the first play of this game.”
Taylor said earlier this week that Burrow showed the team enough to know that he was ready to face the Vikings in Week One without preseason action, but it seems everyone involved is in favor of knocking off some rust before everything starts to count in the standings.