3 reasons why the Bengals should feel good about Joe Burrow's recovery process

The Cincinnati Bengals received great news when it came to their former first overall pick, Joe Burrow. Dr. Neal ElAttrache wrote in a text that Burrow is on track to start the season on time. ElAttrache operated on Joe Burrow in December after hetore his ACL against the Washington Football Team in November.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache shared an update about Joe Burrow's recovery in a text:

"He's doing all the work," wrote ElAttrache. "He's worked his tail off and been an amazing mature participant in his recovery. He's focused and great to work with."

Before the injury, Joe Burrow was playing great football for the Bengals. As a result, there are three reasons why Joe Burrow's successful recovery is a great development for the Cincinnati Bengals.

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1) Joe Burrow was on pace to match Justin Herbert's numbers

Cincinnati Bengals v Baltimore Ravens

Joe Burrow started ten games for the Cincinnati Bengals during his rookie season before his injury. During these ten starts, Joe Burrow threw for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also added 142 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 37 attempts.

Joe Burrow’s knee surgeon says the 2020 No. 1 pick is “all systems go” and is on track to start Week 1, per @AdamSchefter 😤 @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/QfoudloBQo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 18, 2021

Justin Herbert started five more games than Burrow, and his strong season earned him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. During his 15 starts, Justin Herbert threw for 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also added 234 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns on 55 attempts.

In theory, Burrow would have to average 330 passing yards and three touchdowns to catch Herbert. Burrow probably would have surpassed Justin Herbert in all the rushing categories if he didn't get injured. So it's easy to believe that if Joe Burrow didn't sustain the unfortunate injury during his rookie season, the Offensive Rookie of the Year would have his name on it.

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2) The decision to draft Ja'Marr Chase is only a success with Joe Burrow healthy

College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - LSU v Oklahoma

Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase have a chemistry that is rare for two young players. During Chase's sophomore season at LSU, he caught 84 passes for 1,780 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns. Together, Chase and Burrow led the LSU Tigers to a national championship in 2019.

Ja'Marr Chase reunites with @JoeyB in Cincinnati! #NFLDraft @Bengals | @Real10jayy__ pic.twitter.com/R8kYeDWe0z

— NFL (@NFL) April 30, 2021

During the 2019 season, Joe Burrow threw for 5,671 passing yards, 60 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. Chase caught 20 of those 60 touchdown passes. This fruitful connection was the main reason why the Cincinnati Bengals selected Ja'Marr Chase over Penei Sewell in the 2021 NFL Draft.

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3) The Cincinnati Bengals will not make a playoff run without Burrow under center

Cleveland Browns v Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are heading in the right direction, but will they be a playoff contender in 2021? At this point, the Bengals probably won't make a run at the postseason this year. The team still has major weaknesses on both offense and defense.

The Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins connection is strong 💪 pic.twitter.com/YanzLTMpJd

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) May 8, 2021

But Cincinnati should have a shot at the playoffs in the 2022-2023 NFL season as long as Joe Burrow is healthy. The Bengals drafted well in 2021, and they'll look to do so again in 2022. They'll most likely have a pick early in the draft next year, and this selection could be the missing ingredient for a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2015.

A rebuild takes time, and Bengals fans just needs to be patient with cpach Zac Taylor, Joe Burrow and the team itself. The Bengals were a mess when Taylor took over, and he is reshaping the franchise one step at a time.