Bengals' Joe Burrow has successful surgery, now in recovery from turf toe injury
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had successful surgery Friday, less than a week removed from his turf toe injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars, head coach Zac Taylor told reporters.
Taylor said Burrow is now in recovery, but he didn't provide a return timeline for the two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year, per ESPN's Ben Baby.
That said, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that Burrow's procedure will sideline him a minimum of three months.
In other words, Burrow's expected to miss most of the 2025 season, a season he began as a strong MVP candidate following a prolific 2024 campaign that saw him throw for a career-high and league-leading 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns.
[What is turf toe and why has it plagued NFL players for decades? Read more here.]
The Bengals placed the 2020 No. 1 overall pick on injured reserve Tuesday. Burrow suffered his toe injury in the second quarter of a 31-27 win over the Jaguars. He stayed down after being sacked by Jacksonville defensive lineman Arik Armstead. Burrow received on-field medical attention and then was escorted to the sideline medical tent. Ultimately, he was assisted by trainers to the locker room. After the game, he was seen carrying a crutch and wearing a walking boot to protect his injured toe.
The former LSU phenom and Heisman Trophy winner was replaced by Jake Browning, who overcame three interceptions against the Jaguars and led a 15-play, 92-yard, game-winning drive. During that series, he completed nine of his final 10 passes and scored by tossing himself over the line of scrimmage at the front porch of Jacksonville's end zone.
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While filling in for Burrow in 2023, Browning went 4-3 in the seven games he started. He made nine total appearances that year, completing 70.4% of his passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Now 29, Browning's poised to make his eighth career NFL start against the Minnesota Vikings, the team that first signed him when he was an undrafted free agent out of Washington in 2019.
Minnesota has also turned to its backup quarterback now that J.J. McCarthy is reportedly expected to be sidelined for two-to-four weeks with a high ankle sprain he sustained during a Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Enter Carson Wentz, the 2016 No. 2 overall pick of the Eagles, with whom he started five straight seasons before beginning his carousel around the league after a serious knee injury.