Fans of the Cincinnati Bengals have been through enough this season, but another blow came as their faint hopes of making the playoffs seemed further out of reach.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was officially listed by the team as a limited participant in practice on Thursday due to injuries to his right wrist and knee.
It’s unclear exactly when or how Burrow injured himself, as he appeared fine in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
This injury to Burrow comes at a time when the Bengals need wins more than ever – currently they are 6-8 on the season and need a win (plus some help from other teams) to maintain their slim chance of making the achieve the play-offs. ESPN currently has them at a six percent chance of making the postseason.
It also comes as a microscope has been placed on Burrow’s personal life in the wake of a burglary at his home while he was in Dallas on Monday Night Football.
Not only was his privacy violated, but special attention was paid to the person who called 9-1-1 while he was in the home.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is listed in the team’s injury update as a limited participant in practice due to injuries to both his right wrist and knee
The injury comes after Burrow’s home was broken into – leading to the revelation that swimsuit model Olivia Ponton (pictured) was at the house and ‘in contact’ with the NFL star
Burrow is said to have kept it casual with model Ponton ‘since the fall’
TMZ Sports broke the news last week that Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Olivia Ponton, who has eight million followers on TikTok, was responsible for calling the police after a burglary at the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback’s $7.5 million mansion .
Her presence at Burrow’s house led to confusion as, as far as public knowledge goes, he had been dating his longtime girlfriend Olivia Holzmacher since his college days.
The NFL star — who was nearly 1,000 miles away in Texas for a Monday Night Football showdown with the Dallas Cowboys when thieves ransacked his luxury digs — or Holzmacher have never announced or appeared to suggest a split.
Yet according to PeopleBurrow was in a relationship with Ponton months before the home invasion occurred last week.
An insider says, “They’ve been dating since early fall and are keeping it casual.”
Burrow met previous girlfriend Holzmacher during their college years at Ohio State, before eventually going public with their romance in 2017.
Holzmacher, whose LinkedIn profile lists her as a data analyst for US retail company Kroger, supported him through the first six and a half years of his NFL career, including when he reached the Super Bowl for the first time. 2022.
Almost eighteen months later, rumors of a possible engagement began to circulate.
Last week it was revealed that the influencer had called the police after a burglary at Burrow’s home
Her presence at Burrow’s mansion led to confusion given his relationship with his longtime girlfriend Olivia Holzmacher (left)
In August 2023, former Bengals cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones claimed the couple was engaged during an appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee show, although neither party has ever confirmed as much.
Eagle-eyed fans also speculated that Olivia appeared to be wearing an engagement ring around the same time.
But just over a year later, Burrow and Holzmacher appear to no longer be together amid his romance with Ponton.
The stunning influencer is said to have told officers she noticed ‘a shattered bedroom window and a ransacked room’ when she arrived at his property after the burglary.
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office documents said she was “employed by Mr. Burrow,” while the police report added that she gave officers “a non-detailed breakdown of what items may be missing.”
Earlier this week, Ponton said she “does not recommend” long-distance relationships as rumors continue to swirl about her connection to Joe Burrow.
Although she has yet to confirm that she is seeing Burrow, the model’s latest comments about the Podcast ‘Call her daddy’ implied as much.
Ponton opened up on “Call Her Daddy” about the challenges of long-distance romance
Ponton, who lives in New York, was asked by host Alex Cooper about her thoughts on long-distance relationships. Burrow, of course, lives in Cincinnati.
“I’ve been in countless long-distance relationships and it’s hard,” she said. “I feel like with myself, every relationship I get into is a long-distance relationship, even my friendships…”
Ponton shared that scheduling FaceTime moments with your partner can be helpful in long-distance relationships, while reiterating that the situations aren’t entirely ideal.
‘I don’t recommend it, but it is also unavoidable in certain situations.’