Burrow could miss entire season after turf-toe injury, Bengals turn to Browning
Turf-toe surgery leaves Cincinnati with Jake Browning at quarterback as the playoff path grows uncertain.
Joe Burrow could miss the rest of the 2025 season after suffering a turf-toe injury that initially carried a three-month recovery estimate. Jay Glazer, on Fox NFL Sunday, said the quarterback might only have a chance to return this year if Cincinnati makes the playoffs, and even that remains uncertain. Burrow, 28, underwent surgery Friday to repair a fully torn tendon in his big toe, along with a ligament and a capsule, Glazer reported.
Burrow was injured during the second quarter of last Sunday’s win over the Jaguars. Jake Browning took over and will be the Bengals' starting quarterback moving forward. Browning finished Week 2 going 21-for-32 with 241 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions along with a rushing touchdown. He made seven starts as a rookie in 2023 when Burrow missed time with a wrist injury, throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Bengals are on the road against the Vikings in Week 3.
With Burrow sidelined, Cincinnati will proceed with Browning as the starter while navigating a schedule that tests the team’s depth at quarterback. Burrow is the franchise’s highly paid quarterback, and his absence creates a clear hurdle for Cincinnati’s postseason hopes as it looks to stay in the playoff picture. The medical outlook emphasizes that turf-toe injuries and repaired toe tendons can be slow to heal, and a return within the season is not guaranteed. Cincinnati travels to Minnesota for Week 3 and will assess options as it moves forward without its star signal-caller.
