Poll: Should Joe Burrow play in Bengals’ preseason finale?

It’s the question on every Cincinnati Bengals fan’s mind: Will Joe Burrow play against the Miami Dolphins next Sunday?

Cincinnati has played two preseason games without Burrow so far. The offense has looked sluggish at best with Brandon Allen acting as the starting quarterback. Allen’s most recent performance was painful to watch despite his offensive line holding strong in front of him.

Still, it’s just the preseason, and the results don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. This month is about individual evaluations, not wins and losses. But it’s clear that evaluating the offense is tough to do when the quarterback play isn’t up to snuff.

With only one week left in the preseason, it’s too late to see the offense work with Burrow for more than just a single drive, so that ship has already sailed. At this point, Burrow playing vs. the Dolphins would primarily be for his benefit. While he’s expected to be out there in the regular season opener vs. the Minnesota Vikings, the idea of giving him a series two weeks prior to get his feet wet is enticing.

The risk, however, remains the same. Putting Burrow out there before the games start to count while that brace is still covering his knee will surely have everyone in orange and black holding their breath. For this reason, there’s little to no chance head coach Zac Taylor would let Burrow play more than just a single series.

But what say you? Should Joe Burrow play a series (or even two?) against the Dolphins, or should Taylor and the organization hold off until September 12th against the Vikings?