Joe Burrow Active vs. Texans: Inactive List Offers Positive Sign for His Back

As expected, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is active and expected to start today’s road game against the Houston Texans.

The Bengals listed Burrow as “questionable” on the injury report with a back injury he suffered in the season-opening win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"There’s honest communication with Joe and how he feels, face-to-face conversation," Taylor told reporters after Friday’s practice. "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. Taking the stinger out of him, I’m not about that.”

The Bengals elevated quarterback Josh Johnson from the practice squad Saturday as a contingency in case Burrow reinjures his back against the Texans, but Johnson is one of the inactives.

Because they brought up two players from the practice squad, with linebacker Joe Giles-Harris being the other, they needed to make seven players inactive today.

Those seven are:

Josh Johnson

Wide receiver Ke’Shawn Williams

Cornerback Josh Newton

Center Connor Lew

Offensive tackle Myles Hinton

Defensive tackle B.J. Hill

Defensive tackle Landon Robinson

Hill suffered an Achilles injury in practice Thursday and did not practice Friday. The Bengals listed him as questionable on the injury report.

The injury is not an Achilles tear, so Hill could be back on the field sometime before the Week 7 bye.

With Hill down, 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart will make his season debut.

Stewart suffered a hyperextended knee in the first practice of training camp July 29.

“Sometimes it’s hard watching the party from outside,” Stewart said Thursday. “I just want to work my way back in there. I wanna earn it.

“I’d like to play a solid 30 (snaps), on the high end,” Stewart added. “It almost feels normal now.”

Rookie seventh-round tight end Jack Endries is active and will make his NFL debut.

Rookie center Connor Lew and rookie defensive tackle Landon Robinson will have to wait at least another week to make their debuts.

Given Burrow’s back injury, the offensive line will be even more of focal point today than normal.

“They were good. They kept him clean," Taylor said of the group in the Week 1 win. "It was a lot of pressure looks that we had to go over to get ready for the game. They got a great front. And so I was really impressed with the job that they did, number one, in protection, keeping Joe clean, giving him a lot of time to either extend the pocket and make some plays or just stand back and wait for someone to get open.”

For the Texans, wide receiver Nico Collins, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and guard Ed Ingram are among the inactives, along with tight end Brevin Jordan, linebacker Jake Hummel, cornerback Colin Wright and tackle Nate Thomas.

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