Texans Must Monitor Joe Burrow Injury News Ahead of Bengals Game

It looks like there could be a noteworthy injury worth monitoring in the days leading up to the Houston Texans' Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals–– and it revolves around quarterback Joe Burrow.

According to Burrow, he's dealing with "back tightness" following the Bengals' Week 1 matchup, and didn't practice with the team on Wednesday.

“I feel good. Normal gameday soreness, that's for sure. But I’ll be alright," Burrow said on Wednesday after practice. "I don't know specifically what play [it happened on]. I didn’t really start feeling it until after the game. That's typically how it happens."

Joe Burrow opened practice in a very limited capacity. Not really throwing. Seems off.

Also appears to have some sort of brace on his throwing shoulder. Will know more when we talk to him shortly. #Bengals @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/8sKDHzeucZ
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) September 16, 2026

Burrow did note that he does expect to play on Sunday against the Texans after highlighting the injury he was dealing with in practice on Wednesday.

With two more practices left to go before the Bengals travel to Houston, Burrow's got more than enough time to get more physical reps to come his way. So a chance of him missing the game feels pretty slim.

However, even if there is optimism for his status on Sunday, the back issue remains one that did keep him out of practice for the first of three sessions for the week. That situation does tend to be one the Texans should be paying attention to.

Could Texans Be Facing a Limited Joe Burrow in Week 2?

A veteran being held out for the first day of practice in a given week typically sound many alarms in the NFL. It can happen often across the league, especially for star talents. But this situation with Burrow is a bit different.

For one, any starting quarterback injury during the week of a game is noteworthy. They're the key to unlocking the full potential of their respective offense, and especially so for a potent passing attack like the Bengals have on that side of the ball.

Two, when it's somebody like Burrow that's slightly banged up––who's failed to play a full regular season in two of the past three years, averaging 12 games played per season since 2020––those injury concerns have a bit more importance.

If he's not at 100%, this Bengals offense and their route to try and build onto their Week 1 moment in Houston become far more tough.

Sep 13, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) reacts after the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texans have only seen Burrow once throughout his NFL career thus far. That appearance came during C.J. Stroud's rookie season in 2023, which was a pretty fiery showing for the Bengals quarterback: completing 27 of 40 passes for 347 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, yet fell to Houston 27-30.

This time, Burrow and the Bengals will be looking for better results. Yet, that obviously becomes a bit more challenging in any case that their star quarterback is limited with a back ailment, especially against a ferocious defense like the Texans will be bringing to the table, hungry to bounce back from last Week's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

We'll learn more intel about Burrow and his status in the days ahead as more practices get underway, and we’ll hear a bit from more across enemy lines. At bare minimum, though, it's a storyline to monitor closely.

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