In Week 2 of the NFL season, Joe Burrow, the star quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, encountered a setback. He experienced soreness in his calf, reaggravating an injury he initially suffered back in July. This presented the Bengals with a challenging dilemma, as they had to figure out their strategy following a loss, with their key player potentially sidelined.
One glaring issue the Bengals needed to address was their quarterback depth. At the time, they only had one other healthy quarterback on the roster. To remedy this situation, the team made a significant move. According to ESPN’s trusted source, Adam Schefter, the Bengals decided to sign Reid Sinnett to their practice squad. Interestingly, Sinnett was not entirely new to the Bengals’ environment, as they had released the 26-year-old just before the final roster cutdown in the previous month’s preseason.
Reid Sinnett, a quarterback with experience from San Diego’s FCS college program, had an impressive track record during his college years. He completed an impressive 66.9 percent of his passes, accumulating 3,528 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Furthermore, he showcased his versatility by rushing for 174 yards and scoring six touchdowns. These achievements earned him the title of first-team All-PFL and made him a finalist for the Walter Payton Award. However, despite his college success, Sinnett went undrafted in 2020, leading him to spend time on various NFL practice squads, including those of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, and Philadelphia Eagles. Despite his NFL affiliations, Sinnett had yet to see any action on the field.
At one point, Sinnett ventured into the XFL, a professional football league, but his journey took an unfortunate turn when he suffered a broken foot while playing for the San Antonio Brahmas earlier in the year. In his lone XFL appearance, Sinnett completed 13 of 19 passes for 97 yards, threw a touchdown, and had one interception.
As for Joe Burrow, the Bengals’ franchise quarterback, his status remained uncertain. Following the reaggravation of his calf strain in Week 2, Burrow was noncommittal about his availability for the upcoming Monday night game. Head coach Zac Taylor addressed the media’s inquiries, stating that it was currently “hard to say” whether Burrow would be able to suit up for Cincinnati’s Week 3 matchup against the Rams.
While the Bengals desperately sought their first win of the season and couldn’t afford to start with a 0-3 record, they understood that the long-term health of their star quarterback, Joe Burrow, was of paramount importance. The decision surrounding Burrow’s participation would likely hinge on his recovery progress, with the team weighing the risk of playing him against the necessity of ensuring he heals properly.
In conclusion, the Cincinnati Bengals faced a challenging situation following Joe Burrow’s calf injury, prompting them to make moves to bolster their quarterback depth. Reid Sinnett, a promising but unproven quarterback, was brought in to provide support. The uncertainty surrounding Burrow’s availability highlighted the delicate balance between the team’s immediate performance and the long-term health of their franchise player.
