When the Cincinnati Bengals star QB Joe Burrow faced a toe injury against the Jaguars, NFL reporter Jeremy Rauch of Fox 19 first reported that it was a torn ligament in his foot. But the Bengals fans did not know they were going to get hit with a heartbreaking update on Burrow’s injury. Well, a few hours after experts hinted Burrow could miss three months, the worst possibility has become a reality as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday, “Burrow will need toe surgery that will sideline him a minimum of three months.”
When Ian Rapoport was also asked, “Ian, you say it’s the most likely option, and we’re seeing this three-month number everywhere. If there is a twist to this, and it’s not the option, does it become some idea of Burrow playing through pain or playing at 70%? Is that even on the table?” And he replied, “There are rehab options when the injury is less bad. Basically, this was a great one, like let’s say Brock Purdy, right? Then you probably missed two to four, two to five weeks. This is worse. I mean, this is basically the worst kind. From my knowledge, everyone has recommended surgery, but ultimately, it’s up to the player to decide. This is what I’m going to do.” And Burrow has decided to go with the surgery.
Joe Burrow Out for at Least Three Months
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport finely described the Bengals QB’s situation on Monday after Burrow’s Grade-3 toe injury. While explaining the expected bad news, Rapoport said, “Nothing good for Joe Burrow in the Cincinnati Bengals. Here is our understanding.” He continued, “This is the worst. This is the most significant. In fact, based on everything I know, everyone has recommended surgery for him. What would that mean, three months off the field? It’s not necessarily season-ending, but three months out for Joe Burrow.”
What we need to focus on here is that the back-to-back toe injuries to two star QBs- Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy- are different. In the 49ers QB’s case, he might end up missing three to four weeks to recover from the tie injury. But as reports suggest, the Bengals, if they pull up a decent number of wins in the regular season by the end of December 2025, Burrow will directly appear in the playoffs, if they enter. So, now, the talk of the town is who is the best option to shoulder the Cincinnati team’s offense and successfully lead the team in the NFL playoffs 2025.
Third-Year QB Jake Browning Appears as Reliable Replacement for Joe Burrow
While giving his take on Burrow’s injury, Ian Rapoport subtly hinted at the possible backup. The reporter said, “It means Jake Browning probably starts for the next three months, keeps it going. They’re 2-0. They got a little bit of a cushion here. Hopefully, he replicates the work that he did in 2023, filling in for Burrow when he (1:17) went 4-3. That certainly means Jake Browning for the foreseeable future, as Joe Burrow is likely set for toe surgery.”
29-year-old Jacob Christopher Browning, a.k.a Jake Browning, is considered as backup to Burrow, who has played only two seasons in the NFL (except one game in 2025), and also played only 12 games so far. The Minnesota Vikings picked up the former Washington Huskies quarterback as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Still, he never played a single NFL game until he played with the Bengals in 2023. In his 13-game NFL career, Browning has scored 14 touchdowns with an average completion rate of 69.8%. 2024 was the worst year for Browning, as he couldn’t score a single touchdown after playing in three games. He backed Burrow when the team heartbreakingly missed the playoffs in 2024. Now, all eyes will be on Browning, who has scored two touchdowns while backing up Burrow in the Week 2 game against the Jaguars with a 65.6% CMP rate.
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