Overview

• Burrow has been placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss at least three months following surgery for torn toe ligaments, though he has not been formally ruled out for late-season return.
• Zac Taylor named Jake Browning the starter for Week 3 at Minnesota, leaning on his 2023 stretch when he went 4-3 with a 71.5% completion rate in relief of Burrow.
• The team bolstered depth at quarterback, promoting Brett Rypien to the active roster and signing Mike White and Sean Clifford to the practice squad.
• Taylor and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said the offense will largely remain the same given Browning’s familiarity, while Bengals captains publicly voiced confidence in him.
• SportsLine’s model still gives Cincinnati roughly a 50% chance to make the playoffs if Burrow misses three months, as some analysts suggest exploring veteran trade options only if performance falters.