Joe Burrow is set to play in the Bengals' preseason finale, but is it worth the risk?

The final week of the NFL preseason is usually the time for teams to get one last look at the players who will round out their final 53-man rosters.

But when the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon in their preseason finale, it will represent the light at the end of a long and dark tunnel for franchise quarterback Joe Burrow.

Just nine months removed from tearing his ACL and MCL and partially tearing his PCL on Nov. 22, 2020, Burrow will make his return to the field for the Bengals in limited action Saturday.

For Burrow, this is a much-needed dress rehearsal heading into Week 1, as he explained to reporters after practice Wednesday.

"I'm excited to get out there and have game-type feel," Burrow said. "I think it’s important going into the last preseason game to be as close as you can to having a game-like feel. I’m going to be in the huddle during game one, so I need to be out there for the first play of this game."

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It makes sense that a player of Burrow's stature would be eager to get back on the field.

After being selected with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — fresh off winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship with LSU — Burrow played in only 10 games as a rookie before suffering the knee injury.

But is it the best course of action for a quarterback returning from injury to see the field for the first time in a game that is ultimately meaningless? Frank Isola tends to believe so and detailed why on ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption."

"I think a young quarterback definitely needs to be out there playing," he said. "I don't think [Burrow] has played enough over his career. I think the offensive line is definitely an issue. Joe Burrow needs to be out there on the field playing, even if it's for only a couple of series."

The Bengals' offensive line is a reason for concern, considering that Burrow was sacked 32 times in just 10 games last season.

And with questions still surrounding the offensive line, retired NFL quarterback Chris Simms expressed his reservations about Burrow returning so soon on NBC Sports' "Pro Football Talk."

"To me, this is one of the biggest things this weekend," he said. "For me, I definitely want to see the way Joe Burrow looks. It's only been eight-and-a-half months since he tore his ACL and MCL. We talk about it a lot: He is very dependent on that side-to-side movement and those type of things. What I'm really saying is, man, I want him to be careful. Man, I want the Bengals to be careful."

While there is reason to worry about Burrow's well-being behind such a porous offensive line, FOX Sports Injury & Performance Analyst Dr. Matt Provencher believes Burrow's knee should be physically fine. It's the mental hurdle that will be the bigger challenge for the quarterback, Provencher said.

"I think Joe will be healthy and ready to go by Week 1, but it's also important that he regains his confidence," he said. "That will only come with more time and reps on the field."

But are the mental reps worth the physical risk?

Burrow's return was already set to be one of the biggest stories of the 2021 NFL regular season. It now appears to be the story of the final week of the preseason.

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