Bengals QB Joe Burrow to play through dislocated finger suffered in loss to Chargers
Joe Burrow’s finger did not look good Sunday afternoon.
The Cincinnati quarterback, however, isn’t sweating it.
Burrow suffered a dislocated right pinkie finger in the Bengals' 41-22 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, and played with it throughout most of the game. That, at least for now, is his plan moving forward.
"It's just something I'm going to have to deal with," Burrow said, via ESPN’s Ben Baby. “I’m not going to miss any games because of it. That’s not something that’s going to happen.”
Though he’s confident he can keep playing, the swollen finger bothered him at Paul Brown Stadium.
It didn’t look good, either. After taking a sack on their first drive, Burrow’s finger swelled up incredibly fast.
Joe Burrow’s still in the game as his pinky has turned into a big toe. What a warrior. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/e0f4z33yaL
— OddsChecker (@OddsCheckerUS) December 5, 2021
Burrow said the team tried to tape it up and give him a glove or two to try and ease the discomfort, but he didn’t like either option.
"It was a decision to make it feel better or continue to somewhat throw the ball," Burrow said, via ESPN. "I decided to be able to throw the ball."
Burrow finished the day throwing 24-of-40 for 300 yards with two interceptions. He threw a touchdown in the second quarter — Burrow found Tee Higgins for a 29-yard score — and then ran in a 6-yard touchdown himself just before halftime.
While the Bengals put themselves in position by the end of the third quarter and cut the Chargers’ lead to just two points after a 7-yard Joe Mixon touchdown run, Cincinnati gave up two touchdowns — including a 61-yard fumble recovery — and a field goal in the final quarter en route to the 19-point loss.
“That was a sloppy game all-around,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said, via The Associated Press. “To get into a hole the way we did and the things that I did were unacceptable. We didn’t deserve to win.”
Burrow has thrown for 2,835 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. Though Sunday’s loss doesn’t help, the Bengals are still very much in the AFC playoff race.
Burrow, regardless of how his hand feels, plans to be there for every step of the way.
"It's just something I have to play through," Burrow said, via ESPN. "That's what football is. You gotta play through some injuries sometimes."
