Burrow Expects to Play Sunday vs. Texans Despite Back Tightness

Ben Baby Sep 16, 2026, 05:05 PM ET Close Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). Follow on X

_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49960153/bengals-joe-burrow-says-expects-play-tight-back)._