Bengals List Joe Burrow as Questionable, Add Third QB Before Texans Game

The Cincinnati Bengals go into their Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans with their franchise quarterback listed as questionable, and a fresh body added to the depth chart just in case.

Joe Burrow is dealing with back tightness that surfaced after he took a hit while scrambling for a first down in Cincinnati's 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, according to Newsweek. He was limited in practice for part of the week before going through a full practice on Friday, per Yahoo Sports.

On Saturday, the Bengals elevated quarterback Josh Johnson and linebacker Joe Giles-Harris from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday's game, according to ClutchPoints and Sports Illustrated. Both are standard elevations, meaning they automatically revert to the practice squad on Monday.

Johnson, 40, has played for 13 different NFL organizations over his career, including a stint with Cincinnati in 2013 and a training camp look in 2015, according to ClutchPoints. He signed with the Bengals in March, spent training camp on the roster bubble, and joined the practice squad on September 1 after a strong preseason. Last season he appeared in five games for the Washington Commanders.

Joe Flacco remains on the 53-man roster and is expected to serve as Burrow's primary backup if needed, with Johnson available only as an emergency third option, per Yahoo Sports and Newsweek.

Burrow Says He's Playing

Burrow has been blunt about his own assessment of the injury all week. "That's ridiculous," he told reporters when asked about the possibility of sitting out, according to the Bengals' team website as cited by Newsweek. "I feel good. Some normal game day soreness, that's for sure. But I'll be all right … I'll do what it takes to be out there. If I'm not having surgery, I'll be out there."

Burrow said he doesn't recall the specific play that aggravated his back, only that the soreness set in after the game ended against Tampa Bay, which he described as typical for how these injuries present themselves.

Head coach Zac Taylor backed his quarterback's read on the situation. "There's honest communication with Joe and how he feels," Taylor said Friday, according to Sports Illustrated. "Face-to-face conversation. I feel good about what he says. He has got to play football. This is the NFL. Of course, we want him to be safe and healthy. I'm not comfortable saying don't get the third down on third and 8. That's why he's here. He's a competitor."

Taylor described the Johnson elevation as a contingency move rather than a signal of doubt about Burrow's availability, per Yahoo Sports.

Where Coverage Splits

Most outlets covering the story, including ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports, framed the Johnson elevation as standard roster caution. NFL teams routinely add a third quarterback before games when a starter carries any injury designation, regardless of how confident the team is he'll play.

Heavy.com took a more skeptical line, arguing the roster move "further indicates Burrow may not exactly be a sure thing to play" and calling his status "a bit confusing" given the team's public confidence paired with the depth move. If Burrow were fully cleared, he wouldn't be on the injury report at all, and Johnson would still be on the practice squad. But nothing in the reporting from Schefter, Taylor, or Burrow himself suggests the team expects him to sit. The elevation is a precaution the Bengals would almost certainly have made for any questionable-tagged starter at the position.

What Happens Next

Burrow finished Week 1 with 254 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception on 25-of-35 passing, plus 20 rushing yards on five carries, in the win over Tampa Bay. Houston enters Sunday off a Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills in which its defense allowed 36 points, according to Newsweek.

A definitive answer on Burrow's status arrives with Cincinnati's inactive list, released roughly 90 minutes before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, per Heavy.com. If Burrow can't go, Flacco starts, with Johnson active as the emergency arm behind him.