Cincinnati has 21 days to decide on whether or not Burrow can come back off injured reserve this season. Dylan Buell / Getty Images

CINCINNATI – Joe Burrow was cleared to return to practice in a limited capacity Monday. The Bengals’ franchise quarterback injured his toe in Week 2 against Jacksonville, requiring surgery.

The timeline for his return was mid-December, but by allowing Burrow to rejoin practice, this now gives Cincinnati 21 days to decide on whether or not he can come back off injured reserve this season as a designated return player. If he isn’t activated in 21 days, his season will be over. Burrow will be returning in a limited fashion so that he can “begin progressing toward on-field activities.”

Cincinnati’s offense has thrived since Joe Flacco took over at quarterback in Week 6. They rank No. 1 in EPA/play in that span.

Burrow is also expected to speak to the media after practice Monday for the first time since his injury.

What does this mean?

The Bengals keep hope alive, much as they have been. Once Burrow was injured, the point of this entire season was keeping the team relevant and in play for a postseason spot until he could return and they could hand him the ball for a playoff run. The impressive performance of Flacco and the complete disaster on the defensive side of the ball have made his situation less notable in the big picture of 2025. The Bengals’ defense ranks among the worst in the history of the NFL, not just the worst in the league this year.

What does this say about Burrow?

This suggests things are going well in his recovery from the toe injury. He had surgery and has been seen on the sidelines of recent games. He no longer needed a walking boot, appeared to be walking without limitations and was even doing soft toss on the sideline during the last game against Chicago. His timeline hasn’t moved from the original diagnosis but this now allows the Bengals to keep him working on the field and gauge his progress. All this while the 3-6 Bengals enter a critical three-game stretch against Pittsburgh, New England and Baltimore, as they attempt to keep their season alive. There’s still a chance Burrow does not return this season if the Bengals end up out of the playoff picture in the next month.

Nov 10, 2025

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Paul Dehner Jr. is a senior writer for The Athletic. He’s been covering the Bengals and NFL since 2009, for six seasons with The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Athletic since 2019. He’s born, raised and proudly Cincinnati. Follow Paul on Twitter @pauldehnerjr