Bengals place Joe Burrow on IR, elevate AJ McCarron for Sunday vs. Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is out for the season with a wrist injury. Adjusting the roster to reflect his unavailability, the team placed him on injured reserve Saturday.
Jake Browning has taken over at quarterback and is expected start for the remainder of the season. AJ McCarron will be his backup Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Browning filled in during the team's 34-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. He went undrafted out of Washington in 2019 and was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings before landing in Cincinnati. Prior to his relief appearance for the Bengals against Baltimore, the 27-year-old had only thrown one pass in the NFL, which was incomplete in the Bengals' 2023 season opener. Against the Ravens, he threw for 68 yards.
The injury that took Burrow out of the game was initially identified as a sprained wrist and later announced to be a torn wrist ligament. Last week, head coach Zac Taylor told reporters the injury requires season-ending surgery.
Burrow ended his fourth season having completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,309 yards. He recorded 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in 10 games. He signed a a five-year extension worth $275 million in September and is expected to make a full recovery for next season.
In the meantime, Browning and McCarron will be the Bengals' signal callers. McCarron hasn't played in an NFL game since January 2021. He entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick in 2014, spending four seasons behind Andy Dalton with the Bengals. He tore the ACL in his right knee in 2021 and played for the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks earlier this year.
In addition to elevating McCarron from the practice squad, the Bengals activated running back Chase Brown off of injured reserve. He rejoins the 53-man roster after sustaining a hamstring injury in October. The rookie has three catches for seven yards and two carries for six yards this season, during which he has mainly been utilized on special teams.
