2020 NFL preseason: Joe Burrow's debut for Bengals likely August 15 at Chiefs
It's likely that Bengals rookie No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow will see his first NFL action on Aug. 15 in Kansas City in preseason action.
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NFL teams are finalizing their 2020 preseason schedules – assuming there is a preseason in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic – and one notable Week 1 game is Cincinnati at Kansas City on Saturday, Aug. 15, with an 8 p.m. ET kickoff (no national TV). Preseason results mean nothing in the grand scheme of things, but this game should draw some interest because it likely will be the NFL debut of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Of course, Cincinnati took Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft after Burrow had arguably the greatest season by a quarterback in FBS history last year in winning the Heisman Trophy and leading LSU to the national championship. Burrow is the clear-cut +225 favorite on the moneyline odds at William Hill sportsbook to become the first Cincinnati QB to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
It's always hit-or-miss which guys might play in an exhibition opener – seems nearly a sure thing that Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes will not, for example. However, because the NFL didn't have any offseason activities due to the coronavirus, it's expected that second-year Bengals coach Zac Taylor will want to get Burrow some live reps against an opponent. Even the Bengals' team site says that Burrow is expected to play.
"It's just different when the lights come on," Taylor said to the media last week about rookies needing as many reps as possible in exhibition games. "You see them respond against a different scheme that's different from what they see in practice and how quickly they play well under those bright lights. Certainly the rookies need those four (preseason) games. They need as many as you're going to give them."
For what it's worth, the Bengals went 1-3 straight up and against the spread in Taylor's first preseason in 2019. Andy Reid is 39-45 in his preseason coaching career between the Chiefs and Eagles and 39-41-4 ATS. Kansas City was 1-3 SU & ATS in the 2019 exhibition slate.
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