We'll start this item by pointing out one very important reality as to any reporting from NFL Media regarding the investigation into whether the Bengals hid a wrist injury to quarterback Joe Burrow before the condition became specifically aggravated and exacerbated in a Week 11 game at Baltimore.
You can have a ligament strain without tearing it. I think everyone agrees if it was really torn he would not have played. It seems a little suspicious though that the first time anyone saw him in that sleeve was right before a game where he had a season ending injury. My thoughts are more that he had a strain to the ligament (which normally he would be able to play through but got his hand smashed under the d lineman) however I’m no doctor and it’s all speculation at this point. Either way I feel bad for the dude and hope IF there was a previous injury that it doesn’t mean he’s worse off down the line
Ultimately, it really doesn’t matter if he had an injury before the game in my opinion (although he clearly didn’t have a tear before the game). As far as I’m aware, the Questionable or Doubtful tags are simply meant to provide a probability of a player playing in the game. Even if Burrow was injured, it’s not “illegal” to not list him as Questionable if it was never a question he was going to play.
if Burrow had a torn ligament prior to the game how was he throwing the ball in the first quarter?
Just because it was aggravated in-game doesn’t mean it didn’t already exist beforehand.
Magic Ligament theory
You can have a ligament strain without tearing it. I think everyone agrees if it was really torn he would not have played. It seems a little suspicious though that the first time anyone saw him in that sleeve was right before a game where he had a season ending injury. My thoughts are more that he had a strain to the ligament (which normally he would be able to play through but got his hand smashed under the d lineman) however I’m no doctor and it’s all speculation at this point. Either way I feel bad for the dude and hope IF there was a previous injury that it doesn’t mean he’s worse off down the line
Do you think if his arm was already slightly injured, it would be easier to tear?
Ultimately, it really doesn’t matter if he had an injury before the game in my opinion (although he clearly didn’t have a tear before the game). As far as I’m aware, the Questionable or Doubtful tags are simply meant to provide a probability of a player playing in the game. Even if Burrow was injured, it’s not “illegal” to not list him as Questionable if it was never a question he was going to play.