Updates continue to pour in on the toe injury suffered by Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow. The toe injury was confirmed to be turf toe with speculation that several weeks could be up in the air for the sixth-year passer. At this point, each update seems to paint a darker picture. 
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to provide new information, reporting that images of the 28-year-old quarterback’s turf toe injury were “being sent to noted foot specialist” Dr. Robert Anderson to be reviewed. Schefter noted that, should surgery be necessary, a three-month absence would be expected for Burrow, who was seen in a walking boot and on crutches after leaving today’s game. Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports was the next to add on that Burrow is undergoing additional tests and that Cincinnati expects to have full details Monday.
NFL Network’s duo of Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero closely followed with the specifics that Burrow “is feared to have suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury,” that the injury was severe with torn ligaments, and that it would likely require surgery, keeping in line with Schefter’s three-month timeline.
Local beat reporter Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer noted that, with Grade 3 turf toe injuries often estimated with two- to six-month recovery timelines, Burrow’s situation is brutal but not the worst-case scenario.
In line with that thinking, Rapoport points out that three months from now is December 14. That date coincides with the Bengals’ Week 15 game against the Ravens. If backup quarterback Jake Browning can keep Cincinnati anywhere near the playoff chase in Burrow’s absence, Burrow may be able to return in time to play three or four games to get back into potential playoff shape. That would require a lot of things to go incredibly right for the Bengals, but all hope may not be lost.
Browning has been with the team since 2021, winning the primary backup job — and, with it, a spot on the 53-man roster — in 2023. That year, unfortunately, saw Burrow go down with a season-ending wrist injury, and Browning came in to finish out the season. After a 5-5 start with Burrow under center, the Bengals finished 4-3 over their last seven games of the season as Browning led them to a 9-8 final record. Browning proved to be a reliable backup in that stretch of games, completing 70.4 percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns.
Browning will be tested immediately as the Bengals embark on a five-game stretch of 2024 playoff teams with the Vikings, Broncos, Lions, Packers, and Steelers immediately on the horizon. If Browning and his arsenal of offensive weapons can keep the team above water, there’s a chance he may be able to hand the keys back to Burrow in time for a potential playoff run. That’s what the Bengals will be focusing on if they receive bad news tomorrow.
This will be the third season where he misses significant time. Might have to start calling him injury prone.
That might be an understatement.
His career seems to be taking the same trajectory as Andrew Luck’s.
Their continued seeming refusal to dedicate the resources necessary to keep him upright seems almost Bear Like no? Look here’s 80 million bucks for WR’s but we’ll sign Lucas Patrick to block for you OK?
We get to see Jake Brownings girl again? Can’t wait to watch Bengals games!
Lol
The fact that the Bungles continue to refuse to put even a halfway decent offensive line in front of Burrow year after year is borderline criminal.
How long are people going to blame the line when linemen are good players before they come to Cincy but somehow can’t protect Burrow? Maybe just maybe it’s him holding the ball and looking for kill shots instead of getting the ball out. Didn’t seem to bother Browning for instance. It’s great to watch, but it’s also gotten him hurt quite a bit.
Or maybe it’s bad line coaches with horrible schemes.
But why isn’t Browning under the same pressure? Sean Payton is a tool, but one thing I do agree with him on is that sacks are more on the QB than pass blocking most of the time. You’re not facing the 85 Bears every week, but the Bengals perform like they do when Burrow is playing QB. Alex Cappa was a serviceable guard playing with old Brady, but he came to Cincy and was horrible. Same thing with Collins from Dallas. Even Pace doesn’t look as good as he did with KC and Baltimore. It can’t be all the linemen suck, but as usual, our media can’t really analyze and tell the truth. They’ve been running with this narrative that the team can’t protect Burrow so long, they’ve never presented an alternate theory.
The thing is, if you’ve got a talent like Burrow and you’re paying him all that money, then you adjust your line schemes to the QB, not the other way around. If Burrow is the type to sometimes hold on to the ball longer to try to make a play, then you get linemen who can hold their blocks longer or design schemes that account for him holding their ball. You don’t tell Burrow to alter his play to fit the line.
I didn’t see this game so I can’t comment on why Browning didn’t have the same issues.
It’s funny bc I thought they did try to fix that O-line through the draft. 🤷🏽♂️
They better go get Taylor Heinicke or Mike White to be #2, unless they’re that sold on Brett Rypien. Will Grier might be an option too, he’s been in their system. I’ll be worried if they sign Ryan Finley.
White may have a Jets reunion with Justin Fields in concussion protocol.
They could offer a 3rd rounder for Russ or Jameis
No one is giving up a third for Jameis lol.
Browning is the guy. They paid him prety good to stay as the backup in the off-season.
They are discussing back up options to Browning.
But there is no way you trade a 3rd for a backup to your backup. Which is what @Darren and @realfootballfan are responding to
I would be seriously calling the Packers for Malik Willis.
But why would they do that? Jordan Love has gotten hurt every year, and they are now a Super Bowl contender. Bengals are just SOL.
No way are the Packers giving up Malik Willis. Unless they were offered something outrageous.
The packers have just traded away their firsts for the next 2 years, i think it would only take a reasonable offer to get them to bite.
As a packers fan I hope we keep willis but he’s gone after this year, we can’t afford to keep him, I’d trade him for a first rounder
I don’t see anyone offering a first for him though. Especially when you likely can get a guy like Kirk Cousins for a ham sandwich and surrendering some cap space.
Absolutely fair. Kirk might actually get dealt for something reasonable!
Safe to start calling Burrow injury prone. He’ll have missed most of four of his seasons.
Cinny didn’t even have a golf cart to take him to the locker room! Worthless franchise.
Bengals trainer: “Hey! we have an injured player here…can someone bring me a burro for Burrow?”
welp at least I have Rodgers on my fantasy team and I guess I’m dropping Burrow if he indeed is out for 3 months but I’ll wait to be sure before I drop him lol
Kirk Cousins?
Its really looking like the Bills are in the drivers seat for the one seed.
They’ll need to hold on with a much tougher second half, but they should be able to stack up wins and get maybe a little cushion first.
Buffalo would fatten up on a soft schedule during a 3-game homestand. Miami in midweek, New Orleans at 1, then New England on a Sunday night.
Everything might be lining up for them if the Chiefs can be kept out of the playoffs. I still would be scared to play them in a one-off if I was them. It’s psychological as much as anything at this point. That whole conference isn’t as hot as it was touted before the season so far.
And…all of the Bills toughest games are at home.
That’s not exactly a big deal since they’ve had their worst playoff games at home (Cincy debacle, lost to Chiefs twice there).
As we are discoursing- Im still talking regular season right now.
But since you bring it up – its not like thats always going to happen though right? You still understand thar home games are advantages, as opposed to the road? Just because I lose at home once, its not going to happen again.
And the 1 seed is one less game = extra rest.
Everyone understands that the game still needs to be played. But we want advantages.
Nobody said anything was a given, but I guess I need to state the obvious.
I guess I don’t think homefield is as important as it seemed to be when I was growing up watching. For a team like the Bills, seems like playing in that cold element is a disadvantage for them as much as it is for opposing teams. Who can forget that Raider playoff game in the 90s where they gave them all they could handle in the snow, but at the end, it seemed like that homefield helped them squeak it out. We’re more accustomed to the teams at home losing now like the Lions last year or the Chiefs during this run knocking off both the Bills and Ravens at home.
It would also guarantee that they would not face the Ravens AND Idk (Chiefs, Bengals, insert team here) in one playoff.
Its another advantage.
As great as Chase is… wouldn’t it have been wiser maybe to take Sewell?
It’s been seven seasons. It’s like the Chiefs with wide receivers. They’ve thrown a lot of resources in the draft and FA on linemen. Burrow just holds the ball too long.
Here’s the latest:
Bengals QB Joe Burrow to have toe surgery, expected to miss at least three months, per report
BROWNING AINT THAT BAD HE WENT 4-3 should of went 5-2 except for a phantom call. He will be alright with all those antelopes on this team. CINCY WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS,