Overview
- Burrow will not play against the Patriots in Week 12 and will remain on injured reserve, according to multiple reports.
- The Bengals plan to start Joe Flacco again, with Jake Browning as the backup, as they keep open the possibility of a Thanksgiving night return against the Ravens.
- Burrow was cleared for practice this week and had been listed as questionable, marking a faster-than-expected progression roughly nine weeks after toe surgery.
- Injury analysts cite a typical 10–14 week recovery for this surgery, and the short Sunday-to-Thursday turnaround was flagged as a key workload concern.
- Despite Cincinnati’s low playoff odds after losing seven of 10, coaches and teammates describe Burrow as eager to play, reflecting his reputation for aggressive comebacks.