Press Conference: Zac Taylor on Joe Burrow Injury, Shemar Stewart Status & Bengals O-Line Concerns

Zac Taylor (0:00)

Zac, what's the latest on Joe Burrow? It looks like he's gonna need surgery. We're still working through all the details of that, what that timeline's gonna look like. So that's really all the information I have today.

SPEAKER_2 (0:09)

You had to sweep with IR?

Zac Taylor (0:11)

I don't wanna make any determination right now. We'll get through the week, get all the information we can, and then we'll go from there.

SPEAKER_2 (0:17)

Is the hope right now gathering second opinions? Is that what you're saying?

Zac Taylor (0:21)

Yeah, I think that's all the process they're going through right now, timeline and all that kind of stuff. So not information I have today.

SPEAKER_2 (0:27)

What's your message to the team?

Zac Taylor (0:29)

That we're 2-0, and we've got a lot of great energy right now. There's a lot of things that we can clean up with our football team to be better going forward. We have not put our best foot forward yet, and so that's what's exciting is that we found a way to be 2-0 right now, and we still haven't even played our best football collectively. So the goal this week is to find a way to go on the road and be 3-0, and I know our guys are jumping up the bit for that opportunity.

SPEAKER_2 (0:53)

Yeah, Joe does miss extended time. Can you, Jake, and a lot of the same faces draw from 2023 Does that help?

Zac Taylor (1:01)

Yeah, we have a ton of confidence in Jake, and so he proved that yesterday against what I think everyone's going to see is a really good football team. He's done in the past. He's played against this team we're about to play, so he's got experience there. And so again, the point that you turn to now is excited for Jake to go out there and play, and he's earned the right to be in the spotlight. And so guys will rally behind him, and we'll get Jake's best.

SPEAKER_3 (1:26)

Obviously, you're trying to prepare for Minnesota and do everything you do in the normal course load of a Monday after a game. When you have something like this and there's so much to consider, what kind of a challenge is it for you and your staff?

Zac Taylor (1:39)

It's just part of the process for us. You know, there's always some form of adversity you're going to face, and it's how do you respond to it. And so, again, it's there's not a lot we can do right now for Joe, you know, other than I feel terrible for him because he's put in all the work, and so for him to have to go through this is the worst part of it. But as a football team, we just got to continue to move forward, and that's what these guys are going to do. And so, again, it's there's not a lot that takes up my time, if that's what you're asking in terms of today. We're ready to move on to Minnesota and find a way to get after these guys.

SPEAKER_4 (2:08)

In your conversations with Joe, how is he? What type of spirit is he in?

Zac Taylor (2:13)

Well, it's hard for me to answer. You know, it's always disappointing when you have to go through this. But my experience with Joe is he's always been, you know, upbeat and handle it the best that he can given the circumstances. I think that's always how he looks at it. But again, he can probably at some point answer that better than I can.

SPEAKER_5 (2:27)

Was there any possibility of bringing in somebody else to that room designed to me? Have you eventually challenged Jake or is it you guys are riding with Jake all year? That's that's the plan.

Zac Taylor (2:38)

I feel very confident in Jake. I think Jake has proven his caliber in this league and he can help us win football games and contend for all the things that we want to contend for. But that being said, we're always open to bringing in other people at this point. We got two quarterbacks sitting in this room and so I'm sure we'll turn over a lot of rocks trying to find another guy.

SPEAKER_2 (2:57)

I didn't have a timeline or anything like that, but is there still at least hope in the building that Joe could be back at some point?

Zac Taylor (3:03)

Yeah, I don't want to say anything that I can't fully answer right now.

SPEAKER_2 (3:08)

Any update on Shemar?

Zac Taylor (3:10)

Shemar, doubtful for this week. He's got an ankle sprain. Again, we'll accumulate more information today, tomorrow as it goes. But doubtful for this week. Any other injuries that you picked up or? Not as of right now.