NFL reportedly clears Bengals after Joe Burrow injury disclosure probe

With star quarterback Joe Burrow officially out for the season and recovering from wrist surgery, the Cincinnati Bengals are no longer being investigated by the NFL for failing to place him on the injury report in Week 11.

The league reviewed medical records, studied practice footage and found no violations in their probe, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported Saturday. The NFL also interviewed medical personnel, who reportedly confirmed the Bengals didn't break any rules of the league's injury report policy.

Burrow grabbed his wrist in pain during the second quarter of a Nov. 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. When the 26-year-old didn't return to the game, questions began to circulate about a video of Burrow getting off the team bus that showed a brace on his right hand. The issue was seemingly fueled as the Bengals posted and quickly deleted the video. Burrow eventually addressed questions about the brace, saying it's common for players to wear compression sleeves preventatively during travel.

While some initially wondered if Burrow had sustained the injury in a previous game, he was later confirmed to have torn a ligament in his wrist while taking a hit from Ravens linebackers Jadeveon Clowney. He exited the game after throwing a touchdown pass to Bengals running back Joe Mixon on the next play, claiming he heard a pop during the effort.

Under the league's injury report policy, every team is required to release an accurate account. The report should have up-to-date evaluations of a player's status throughout the practice week, even if they don't miss any time or aren't expected to miss the game.

Amid the rise of legal sports betting, this process has become increasingly important for the NFL. If found guilty of violating the injury report policy, the Bengals would have been subject to loss of a future draft pick or a substantial fine.

In 2019, the NFL found the Pittsburgh Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin guilty of inaccurately listing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on one practice report before a game against the Seattle Seahawks. The team and Tomlin were fined $75,000 and $25,000, respectively.