The Cincinnati Bengals’ season immediately turned for the worse in Week 2. During the second quarter of their matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback Joe Burrow was bullrushed by the Jags and found himself awkwardly trying to avoid a sack.
He hurt his toe and had to be helped off the field. Later, it was confirmed that he suffered a turf toe injury and would miss three months. However, even that amount of time may not be enough for Burrow to heal well enough to get back into a football game.
How Realistic is it for Burrow to Come Back in 2025?
Jay Glazer appeared on Fox NFL Sunday and, during his “Inside Scoop” segment, explained how difficult it would be for Burrow to recover from this injury.
“Don’t let the name fool you, this is one of the hardest, most painful injuries to come back from,” Glazer said. “When Joe Burrow had surgery on Friday for this, that’s to repair a fully torn tendon in that big toe and ligament, a capsule that covers it as well.”
Injury updates for several QBs around the league including Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels, and Brock Purdy.@JayGlazer has the latest. pic.twitter.com/MuUrRZagtu
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 21, 2025
“We’re saying three months? I don’t see three months being an actual timeline,” Glazer speculated. “I think more a chance if they make the playoffs, but only because it’s Joe Burrow. Somebody else, I’d say no. But he has that ‘Mamba Mentality.’ Maybe, yes. Just a difficult injury to return from.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, turf toe, or a metatarsophalangeal joint sprain, happens when your toe remains on the ground and your heel lifts, causing your toe to hyperextend. The name is derived from the fact that the injury happens more often on artificial turf than on grass because turf is less forgiving.
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Burrow suffered a Grade-3 injury, which means that all of the soft tissues in his big toe were torn. As Glazer reported, Burrow had surgery on Friday and is expected to miss a minimum of three months.
How Will the Bengals Move Forward Without Burrow?
In the meantime, the Bengals turn to backup quarterback Jake Browning. He led the Bengals to a 31-27 win against the Jaguars and will presumably be the starter for the rest of the 2025 season.
In addition to Browning, the Bengals have quarterbacks Brett Rypien, Mike White, and Sean Clifford on the roster.
Browning filled in for Burrow in 2023 and held his own. He completed 171 of 243 passes for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns with seven interceptions while leading the Bengals to a 4-3 record as a starter.
On Sunday, Browning is starting under center against the Minnesota Vikings.
