The Cincinnati Bengals have missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons despite having one of the best quarterbacks in the league on the roster in Joe Burrow. A lot of the Bengals’ problems can be attributed to slow starts to the season, putting Burrow and company in near-impossible holes to climb out of.
The Bengals attempted to remedy this lingering problem by playing Burrow and other high-profile starters in the preseason to help them get into a rhythm before Week One arrives in early September.
Unfortunately, the Bengals had some horrible injury news to share on Wednesday.
“Bengals G Cordell Volson, who has started 48 games over the last three years, will likely miss the entire 2025 NFL season with a shoulder injury that requires surgery,” Ari Meirov reported.
It seems this has helped lead the Begnals to a reevaluation of their initial preseason plan concerning Burrow, which makes sense considering the offensive line is tasked with keeping him clean in the pocket, and Volson’s replacement will need time to mesh with his teammates.
“I haven’t talked in depth with the players about this third game,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “I’ve talked to Joe, I haven’t specifically told these guys they’re not playing. But they’re not playing.”
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“I guess after watching him get thrown to the ground last week, that was enough for them,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“Or the playoffs,” someone else added, predicting that Burrow and the Bengals will miss the playofs for the third straight year.
It’ll be interesting to see if Burrow and the Bengals wind up regretting the chance to get extra reps in.