Joe Burrow has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL whenever he has been healthy. Unfortunately for the Cincinnati Bengals, he has suffered extensive injuries in three of his six seasons so far. This includes the 2025 season, where he has been limited to just two games so far, but he is reportedly nearing a return.
When Will Joe Burrow Return from Injury for the Bengals?
Burrow suffered a turf toe injury in just his second game of the 2025 season and has not returned to the field since then. He required surgery to repair it, and appeared in danger of missing the rest of this year, but NFL insider Ian Rapoport recently shared a projected timeline for his return.
“Joe Burrow is likely back on the field Thanksgiving or the following week. Trey Hendrickson plans to put off potential core muscle surgery to be back for the stretch run,” said Rapoport.
Joe Burrow is likely back on field Thanksgiving or the following week. Trey Hendrickson plans to put off potential core muscle surgery to be back for the stretch run.
Can the #Bengals win a few in the meantime? https://t.co/W1mjpelMSv
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 16, 2025
The Bengals opened their quarterback’s practice window last week, which gives him three weeks to potentially return for a game. Rapoport apparently believes that this could come as soon as next week for the Thanksgiving weekend slate of games. He also mentioned that Trey Hendrickson should be available down the stretch as well, so they could be getting two of their most important players in the coming weeks.
Burrow would obviously be a huge addition down the final stretch of the season, and while the Bengals have just a 3-6 record, they are still within striking distance of a playoff spot. They trail the Pittsburgh Steelers by just two games for the AFC North division lead, and can cut into just one in their crucial Week 11 clash.
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Joe Flacco will remain the starting quarterback for this week, as he has been in every game since replacing Jake Browning. The veteran has done a solid job as essentially a placeholder until their superstar potentially returns. Flacco has twice finished among the top five weekly quarterbacks in PFSN’s Impact Rankings across the past three weeks.
Despite his relative success, they will surely have a better chance at making a postseason run with their superstar quarterback. He led the NFL with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes last year and had the team off to a 2-0 start to this season. They are just 1-6 since then, though their one win was an important one against the Steelers, as they remain undefeated against the AFC North through ten weeks.
