What was described as a minor procedure for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow should be just that and only sideline him for a limited amount of time.
Tuesday, word broke that Burrow needed to undergo surgery to have his appendix removed after suffering appendicitis.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway, Burrow will only be sidelined for about week.
The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. spoke with Tracey Childs, the chief of surgery at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, who had this to say: “This is what we call ‘bread and butter surgery.’ It’s super common. Minimally invasive.”
Childs also said the risk factor is extremely small:
Dr. Childs on Burrow appendectomy cont. (2/2): "He will probably miss practice for a week, or two. When he is comfortable enough to practice he can practice without restrictions. The risks are very small."
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) July 26, 2022
There are also recent examples of quarterbacks coming back quickly from this:
Matt Cassell had an appendectomy in 2010 and returned to the field 11 days after the operation missing one week (https://t.co/JpjDTXm7mg). https://t.co/6mEXRHREKg
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) July 26, 2022
Keep in mind the Bengals don’t start padded practices for about a week and even then, Burrow probably wasn’t going to be taking major hits right away, anyway.
Generally speaking, barring something unexpected, this is a minor bump in the road for Burrow, especially compared to his rookie offseason being derailed by a pandemic and his sophomore offseason centered on rehabbing and returning early from the knee injury.