Bengals' Burrow returns, wouldn't mind getting hit next time

CINCINNATI -- A little contact might go a long way for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow .

In his first game action since suffering a season-ending right wrist injury last season, Burrow didn't get hit in Saturday's preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . He called that "a good thing" as he remained untouched on the opening drive of a 17-14 loss at Paycor Stadium, his only snaps of the game.

But he wouldn't mind if that changed at some point ahead of Week 1 as he continues to come back from the wrist injury.

"It would probably help me mentally more than anything," Burrow said. "Just understanding falling can hurt. Just get that thing hit one time before you're out there in a real game."

Saturday marked Burrow's first preseason action since 2021, one season after he tore multiple left knee ligaments. Since then, he has suffered injuries in training camp -- a ruptured appendix in 2022 and a strained right calf in 2023.

On Saturday, Burrow said he wanted to go through a game-day routine -- get the feel of calling a game, looking at the play clock ticking down and reading the defense. In his lone drive, he was 5-of-7 passing for 51 yards and a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins .

"It was nice to get back out there, be out there with the guys," Burrow said.

While Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Burrow looked "sharp" and in control, Burrow was more muted in his self-evaluation and repeatedly said there was room for improvement. As for any further preseason game involvement, that remains to be seen.

"That's kind of a Zac question," Burrow said, referring to Cincinnati's sixth-year coach. "We'll kind of make that decision together and see where it goes."

The touchdown from Burrow to Higgins stood as Cincinnati's lone points until the fourth quarter, when rookie Jermaine Burton reeled in a 37-yard touchdown pass from reserve quarterback Logan Woodside . Burton also had a 38-yard reception on the final drive of the game that put Cincinnati in range for a potential game-winning touchdown.

Burton, a third-round pick out of Alabama, didn't see much of the field until the third-team offense came on the field. Those two catches were Cincinnati's longest plays from scrimmage on Saturday night.

After the game, Burton said that he wanted to prove that he was worthy of being in the league and wanted to justify Cincinnati's decision to take him in the third round.

"I'm here for a reason," Burton said. "They drafted me for a reason. I just wanted to show that they didn't make a mistake in drafting [as] early as a lot of other teams would've."