The Cincinnati Bengals suffered back-to-back heartbreaking losses in Week 8 and Week 9 before getting a much-needed bye in Week 10. There hasn’t been much to celebrate in Cincinnati since Joe Burrow went down with his injury and they were 2-0. But there is some good news on the way as the Bengals await Burrow’s return.
Bengals Release Latest Update on Joe Burrow’s Injury
Joe Burrow is back, well, not quite. The Bengals activated his practice window from injured reserve, and he will return to practice in a limited fashion. He’s been working to get back for his teammates, and the star quarterback’s return is inching closer.
Burrow will remain on injured reserve and has 21 days to be activated. If he isn’t activated, then his season will be over. Burrow was given an initial recovery timeline of three months in early September and is on track to return earlier than expected, potentially.
Joe Burrow back at practice, with an eye on playing in next few weeks: pic.twitter.com/gKqFE4xiIk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 10, 2025
NFL insider Jay Glazer spoke with Burrow about his recovery and stated that he’s progressing faster than the doctors had imagined.
“Last week Joe Burrow told me he’s returning wayyyy sooner than was expected and gave me the timeline of ‘by Thanksgiving.’ Now will start practicing on a limited basis. Absolutely unreal attack of rehab and response,” said Glazer. “At first medical people didn’t believe he’d be back before playoffs.”
Last week Joe Burrow told me he’s returning wayyyy sooner than was expected and gave me the timeline of “by Thanksgiving.” Now will start practicing on a limited basis. Absolutely unreal attack of rehab and response. At first medical people didn’t believe he’d be back before…
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) November 10, 2025
The Bengals will be pumped to have their star QB back, but ensuring he’s fully healthy will be crucial. Joe Flacco has done a great job filling in for Burrow, but that hasn’t translated to wins as their defense has struggled mightily. The Bengals’ offense ranks 17th in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, earning an impact score of 74.4, while their defense is last in the league based on PFSN’s Defense Impact metric.
The Bengals’ season is very likely over unless they pull off a miraculous turnaround. They have the Steelers and Patriots next, and one more loss will likely eliminate them from postseason contention before Burrow is able to return to the field. However, he looks poised for a return regardless of the situation.
Burrow is one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL when healthy and makes one of the best duos in the NFL with Ja’Marr Chase. Keeping him healthy will be priority number one.
The Bengals have a lot of work to do if they want to turn this team around, and it starts with defense. But getting Burrow back is certainly no small addition, either. Now, fans will be anxiously awaiting their quarterback’s return to play in the coming weeks.