First came the performance, then the videos. On Wednesday, Joe Burrow offered up the explanation — and the reassurances.

Addressing the hottest topic in Cincinnati sports during his news conference on Wednesday, the Bengals quarterback insisted his surgically repaired wrist is not impacting his ability to throw, despite much speculation otherwise following his team’s stunning Week 1 defeat.

“It feels great, feels better this week than it did last week, than it did the week before, so it’s continuing to do better,” Burrow said.

Playing for the first time since suffering a torn ligament in his right (throwing) wrist in a game against the Baltimore Ravens last November, Burrow threw for only 164 yards without a touchdown or an interception in the Bengals’ 16-10 home loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Cameras caught Burrow flexing and rubbing the wrist throughout the game, and one shot of him picking up a water bottle on the sideline sparked plenty of speculation online about the injury.

“I picked it up weird?” he asked during the news conference. “I don’t know. I drank water. Can’t say I have seen that or know what anyone is talking about.”

As for the rubbing and flexing of his wrist?

“That’s part of ligament injuries,” Burrow said. “If you don’t move it, you’re going to lose it, so I’m always moving it around, keeping it loose, keeping my mobility the way it’s supposed to be, so it’s going to continue to happen.”

Burrow is listed on the Bengals’ Week 2 injury report, though he did practice in full on Wednesday.

Cincinnati plays at defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday. The Chiefs opened the season with a 27-20 home victory against the Ravens.

In 10 games last season, Burrow completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,309 yards and 15 touchdowns with six interceptions. He eclipsed 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in each of his two previous seasons, the only full seasons the fifth-year pro has played.

–Field Level Media