Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) questionable vs. Rams; Cincinnati signs AJ McCarron to practice squad

There’s a chance Joe Burrow will be able to suit up in Week 3, but Cincinnati will be taking further precautions nonetheless.

Zac Taylor on Saturday told reporters that Burrow (calf) will be listed as questionable versus the Los Angeles Rams, but the Bengals head coach won’t commit to him playing on Monday night.

‘We’ll see,” Taylor said on if he thinks Burrow will play.

Burrow has been considered day to day this week after aggravating his calf during the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s home loss to the Ravens. After missing Thursday’s practice, the Bengals quarterback returned in limited capacity the following two days.

Cincinnati has since announced Burrow’s questionable status against the Rams. Tight end Irv Smith Jr. (hamstring) is officially doubtful.

Should Burrow sit out on Monday, backup QB Jake Browning is expected to earn his first-career start. If Burrow’s aggravated calf injury lingers even further, however, the Bengals are preparing themselves by bringing in a familiar face.

Veteran QB AJ McCarron is being signed to the Bengals’ practice squad, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday, per a source. The team has since announced the news.

McCarron spent the majority of his pro career in Cincinnati after being selected by the club in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. The 33-year-old hasn’t played an NFL snap since the 2020 season but has had plenty of playing time this year in the XFL, leading the league in passing touchdowns (24) and finishing second in passing yards (2,150) in nine games played for the St. Louis Battlehawks.

During his three-year run with the Bengals, McCarron saw three starts (2-1) and appeared in 11 games, throwing for 1,173 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. McCarron’s tenure in Cincy also featured a start in the playoffs for an injured Andy Dalton during his rookie season. He completed 23 of 41 passes for 212 yards, one TD and an INT in the 18-16 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

McCarron signed a free-agent contract with Buffalo in 2018 but was traded to the Raiders for a fifth-round pick ahead of the season. He had a two-year stay in Houston as a backup before landing in Atlanta in 2021, but a torn ACL that preseason ended his year. McCarron then elected to play in the XFL once rehabilitating his knee injury.