The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 prevented Joe Burrow from getting a real offseason before his rookie year. The Bengals quarterback was rehabbing from major knee surgery last offseason.
So, heading into his third season, Burrow finally is getting a “normal” NFL offseason.
“I feel great,” Burrow said Tuesday, via video from the team. “Obviously, this is my first offseason in the NFL, so I’ve been able to take advantage of that as far as my body and my throwing and my mind and all that. Obviously, I’ve been grinding, but it’s also been relaxing not having to worry about, ‘Am I going to be ready for the season?’ I can just focus on getting my body right, making sure I’m healthy and then relaxing.”
Burrow is practicing without a knee brace, which he played with last season after tearing the ACL and MCL in his left knee in Week 10 of his rookie season.
“Yeah, it’s fun,” Burrow said of shedding the brace. “I don’t really like wearing that thing, so it’s good to have that off.”
He said it’s “to be determined” whether he will play without the brace.
“I don’t anticipate wearing it but maybe get to game day and feel a little more comfortable having it on, so we’ll see,” Burrow said.
Burrow won the league’s comeback player of the year award over Dak Prescott last year, and he then led the Bengals to the Super Bowl.