Report: Joe Burrow eyes mid-May return to full activities

Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow has his sights set on a full return to football activities by mid-May, ESPN reported Sunday.

Burrow, whose season began with a right calf injury and ended with a torn wrist ligament in Week 11, expects his return to come as the team begins organized team activities. That would include full throwing sessions.

"I think middle of May is when I am expecting to kind of be cleared for full contact and everything. Over the next month [to] month and a half, we'll kind of decide all those things," Burrow said Sunday.

The quarterback, taken first overall by the Bengals in 2020, said the time frame nearly matches previous off-season schedules, when he wouldn't start throwing until the team's OTAs.

In his four seasons, Burrow has completed 68 percent of his passes for 14,083 yards and 97 touchdowns in 52 games. He led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season, when he led the league with a 70.4 percent completion rate.

In September, Burrow signed a five-year contract extension worth $275 million. The $55 million average annual value is the highest recorded in the NFL.

The Bengals finished last season 9-8, last in the AFC North, and missed the postseason after consecutive runs to at least the conference title game.

—Field Level Media