Surprising Joe Burrow news puts a perfect bow on the most chaotic year of his Bengals career so far
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow ends his crazy year as a Pro Bowler.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been named to the 2026 Pro Bowl Games.
Burrow was announced as a late addition to the AFC roster Sunday afternoon, and will join teammate Joe Flacco, and Cleveland Browns quarterback Sheduer Sanders as the QBs for the conference. He’ll also get to play with his top wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase was voted in originally, and Higgins was added as a second alternate.
Burrow threw for 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 66.8% of his passes in eight games started during the 2025 season. He missed a total of nine games due to a turf toe injury he suffered in Week 2.
It wasn’t a given Burrow would be able to play again last year following his injury. That he not only returned, but finds himself as a Pro Bowler is nothing short of surprising and eye-opening for not only his season, but the way the AFC turned out at the QB position.
Joe Burrow’s rollercoaster of a season ends in a Pro Bowl nod
Burrow could’ve very easily only played two games this entire season. His turf toe injury was considered Grade 3, which entailed an expected three-month recovery timeline from surgery. If he was going to play again in 2025, it wasn’t going to be until the final few games at most. The Bengals losing all but one of the first seven games without only added to the doubt that he would return, as his coming back in a lost season would be considered pointless outside of his desire to play.
Despite Cincinnati’s 3-6 record coming off its bye week, Burrow was cleared to practice starting Week 11 and officially returned in Week 13. He confirmed his recovery was expected to be 12 weeks, and he cut that down by nearly half from the time he got out of surgery to his stepping onto the practice field again.
Burrow quickly knocked off the rust of missing over two months of action with a stellar Thanksgiving night performance against the Baltimore Ravens, throwing for 261 yards and two touchdowns. The Bengals won that evening, but a heartbreaking Week 14 loss to the Buffalo Bills had Burrow down in the dumps and subsequently creating headlines about his mental state.
“If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it,” Burrow said on Dec. 10. “I’ve been through a lot, and if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? So that’s the mindset I’m trying to bring the table.”
Burrow then had one of the worst games in his career against Baltimore in Week 15, throwing two interceptions and posting a passer rating of 58.2. He said he could have done “everything” better in that game.
Again, this story ends with him going to the Pro Bowl. That’s insane considering the initial rosters were announced eight days later. Burrow wasn’t even listed as an alternate.
Cincinnati saw a better version of its franchise passer in the final few weeks. Burrow threw for 850 yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception while completing 76.5% of his passes.
It can be argued without this production to close the year out, Burrow doesn’t get the nod to fill out the AFC Pro Bowl roster. The AFC squad is in a whacky state for Burrow and Flacco, the guy who replaced Burrow’s original replacement, Jake Browning, to make up two of the three QB spots. Sanders’ production this year was worse than both Burrow and Flacco and was somehow named to the team first as an alternate.
None of this makes any sense, but hey, that’s the Pro Bowl nowadays.
Burrow’s 2025 season nearly ended right after it began, and he is now three-time Pro Bowler. There hasn’t been a crazier season he’s played for Cincinnati, and for the team’s sake, all parties should hope this is as crazy as it gets for him.
Cincinnati Bengals News
Ja’Marr Chase’s Pro Bowl grievance gets a happy resolution thanks to rival player’s decision
Tee Higgins is set to join Ja’Marr Chase in the 2026 Pro Bowl Games.
