The Cincinnati Bengals entered the 2025 NFL season hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2024 campaign and return to the playoffs.
The Bengals will have to achieve that goal despite being without Joe Burrow for the majority of the regular season.
Burrow suffered a serious-looking foot injury during Cincinnati’s 31-27 Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The injury occurred as he was tackled from behind and grabbed by the foot while being twisted to the ground.
Burrow stayed down after the injury and needed help getting to the sideline. He eventually was taken to the locker room with assistance from Cincinnati’s medical staff. The star quarterback was not carted off, but he was unable to put much weight on his left leg.
How long will Burrow’s injury keep him sidelined? Here’s what to know about the Bengals quarterback’s toe problem and when he could return to action.
When will Joe Burrow return?
Burrow’s absence is expected to be of the long-term variety. The Bengals quarterback is dealing with a Grade 3 turf toe injury that will keep him out a minimum of three months.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor revealed Burrow would require surgery to repair the injury. The 42-year-old coach declined to provide a further update about when – or if – the quarterback would be able to return to action.
That said, the reported timeline would put Burrow on track to return at some point in December at the earliest – barring any setbacks.
Burrow’s potential return could also depend on whether the Bengals can remain in the AFC playoff race in his absence.
Who is the Bengals backup QB?
Jake Browning is the Bengals’ backup quarterback. The 29-year-old is in his fifth season with Cincinnati and third as the team’s primary backup quarterback.
Browning has posted a 4-4 record as a starter while completing 69.9% of his passes for 2,317 yards, 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Taylor expressed confidence in the veteran as a fill-in for Burrow during a news conference the day following Burrow’s injury.
“I feel very confident in Jake,” Taylor said. “I think that Jake has proven his caliber in this league, and he can help us win football games and contend for all the things we want to contend for.”
The Bengals struggled in Browning’s first start of 2025, losing 48-10 to the Minnesota Vikings. Browning completed 19 of 27 passes for 140 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the rout.
Bengals QB depth chart
The Bengals have four healthy quarterbacks in their organization. Just two are on the active roster while the other two are on the practice squad.
Below is the pecking order within the group:
- Jake Browning
- Brett Rypien
- Mike White (practice squad)
- Sean Clifford (practice squad)
Rypien, 29, is set to back up Browning with Burrow out of action. The Boise State product has a 2-2 record across four NFL starts but has completed just 58.3% of his passes for 950 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions.
White is another veteran journeyman whom the Bengals signed after Burrow’s injury. The 30-year-old has completed 61.4% of his passes for 2,247 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions across seven starts. He has a record of 2-5 and hasn’t made a start since going 1-3 with the New York Jets during the 2022 NFL season.
Clifford, 27, is the youngest quarterback in Cincinnati’s organization. The Penn State product was a fifth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft but has never started an NFL game or attempted a regular-season pass.