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Add the Bengals’ Joe Burrow to the ever-growing list of those off to an atrocious start at training camp.

On Tuesday, almost the entire 91-man Giants roster was involved in a brawl that forced practice to be end early. Last week, Colts quarterback Carson Wentz broke a bone in his foot and will require surgery and is expected to miss 12 weeks.

And in Cincinnati, Burrow and the offense struggled in their first padded practice Wednesday.

Burrow, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was 5-for-12 with an interception in 11-on-11 drills, according to The Athletic. The 24-year-old’s passing was inconsistent and his throws were off target on the whole. He only hit one pass beyond 10 yards the entire day.

The star quarterback is coming off ACL and MCL tears that sidelined him during a Nov. 22 game against Washington. Burrow entered camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but even then, he has underperformed thus far.


  Joe Burrow’s training camp is off to a tough start. Getty Images Joe Burrow’s training camp is off to a tough start. Getty Images

Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor said that Burrow is “cleared to do everything,” but the signal caller has muddled through the early stages of camp.

In a drill, Burrow appeared timid to get into the action, lifting his leg to avoid close contact with the defense that was pushing toward him, The Athletic reported. It was an odd move during a practice where the defense was instructed to not go full-force at the QB.

The Bengals’ defense has reportedly been impressive at the outset of camp, but Burrow has not shown the promise he got off to in his rookie campaign. He showed flashes of brilliance before the injuries last season, throwing for 2,688 yards with 13 touchdowns against just five interceptions in 10 starts.

Despite Burrow’s wishes to get into preseason action, Bengals owner and president Mike Brown said the team will likely not let the quarterback play until the regular season to avoid “risk.” That makes camp the optimal time for the young quarterback to iron out the kinks before the games count.

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