In what feels like a lost season for the Cincinnati Bengals, all eyes are on franchise quarterback Joe Burrow. After suffering a Grade Three turf toe injury in Week 2, most thought Burrow’s season was over, but he has returned to the practice field and could return this season.
When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Zac Taylor said that Burrow took part in 7-on-7 drills during practice last week, a big step in his recovery. The next step would be Burrow taking part in 11-on-11 drills, something
Taylor sounded like could be happening sooner or later.
“He did 7-on-7 last week, came out of the week feeling good, and so then this week, the plan will be, let’s get to Wednesday and see if we can work in some 11-on-11 and go from there,” Taylor said.
With the Bengals sitting at seven losses and likely out of the playoff hunt, some have argued that it is not even worth bringing Burrow back at this point. This is his third season in six years that has resulted in him missing significant time, and some fans don’t want to risk Burrow being re-injured in meaningless games.
From the sound of it, Burrow intends to play even in a lost season, and it doesn’t seem that Taylor is too inclined to force his franchise quarterback to the bench. With pressure mounting on Taylor, he may look for Burrow to help the team pull out some wins down the stretch in an effort to cool the hot seat Taylor may find himself on.
Regardless of our feelings, it does appear that No. 9 will take snaps again at some point in 2025.
