Joe Burrow’s Knee Injury Reportedly More Severe Than Initially Expected

The Cincinnati Bengals and their fans feared the worst for Joe Burrow, and their fears were realized — and then some — Monday afternoon.

The Bengals rookie quarterback left Sunday’s game against the Washington Football Team with what initial reports indicated was a torn left ACL. But additional testing revealed the 2020 No. 1 overall pick also suffered a torn MCL as well as other structural issues, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Here’s his report:

This obviously is devastating news for Burrow and the Bengals. The LSU product looked great in his first NFL season, to the point that hopes finally were high in Cincinnati. He now faces a lengthy rehab while the Bengals’ path toward relevance likely extends.

That said, athletes in recent years have shown the ability to come back strong — and in some cases stronger — after tearing knee ligaments.