Bengals HC Zac Taylor delivers the only update on Joe Burrow that matters right now
Burrow can now start his recovery.
Joe Burrow is officially on the road to recovery.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters Friday afternoon that Burrow, who suffered turf toe last Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, underwent successful surgery Friday morning.
Burrow suffered Grade 3 turf toe in the second quarter of Cincinnati’s Week 2 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was initially considered questionable to return before getting an MRI on his foot, and the team learned it was a toe injury.
Images of his MRI were sent to Dr. Robert Anderson, a renowned foot specialist who consulted former Bengals wide receiver Andrew Hawkins and treated many other NFL players over the years. Anderson helped determine Burrow would indeed need surgery, and once the swelling went down, the 28-year-old underwent a successful procedure just five days after the injury occurred.
No update on Burrow’s recovery timeline
A Grade 3 turf toe can take months to fully recover from, and in Burrow’s case, his initial timeline was reported to be three months. Taylor didn’t provide any update on when he thinks Burrow will be back, but also didn’t rule out the club’s starting QB from returning at some point this season.
Three months from Burrow’s surgery puts him at Dec. 19, just two days before Cincinnati’s Week 16 road game against the Miami Dolphins. The Bengals will have three games left in the regular season by then.
It’s tough to determine the exact scenario in which Burrow would play again this year, even if he could. If Cincinnati is locked in for a playoff spot, that means Jake Browning, Burrow’s backup-turned-starter, is playing well, and Taylor may not want to bench him. If the Bengals aren’t in the playoff conversation, then there’s no point to putting Burrow back out there in meaningless games. Those two words may not be tolerated in a locker room, but if the playoffs are out of the question, risking your $275 million QB coming back too quickly after already being eliminated should be a non-starter.
For now, three months and see appears to be the plan for Burrow, Taylor, and the rest of Cincinnati. Browning will get his first start since 2023 this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.