Bengals Reportedly 'Hope' Joe Burrow Can Return from Toe Injury in Mid-December

The Cincinnati Bengals are reportedly holding out hope for the possibility of superstar quarterback Joe Burrow returning at some point during the 2025 season.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Bengals are hopeful Burrow will be able to come back and play by mid-December, adding that "they know that isn't a slam dunk, but it's possible."

Of note, head coach Zac Taylor did not rule Burrow out for the season during his Tuesday press conference:

Burrow exited the Bengals' Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and did not return. It was later determined that he suffered a turf toe injury requiring surgery, meaning he is expected to miss at least three months, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

If the three-month timeline proves to be accurate, it would put Burrow in line to potentially return for the Bengals' Week 15 game against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 14.

Of course, the decision on whether to bring Burrow back could depend on how the Bengals fare while he is on the shelf.

Backup Jake Browning had his ups and downs after Burrow left Sunday's game, going 21-of-32 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Despite the turnovers, Cincinnati held on to beat Jacksonville 31-27.

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As a result, the Bengals are off to a 2-0 start, meaning they only need to win three or four more games between now and Week 15 to have a shot at the playoffs by winning out over the final month.

That should be attainable, although the Bengals' upcoming schedule isn't easy with three of their next four games on the road.

Each of their next five opponents were playoff teams last season as well in the form of the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Bengals have already missed the playoffs in back-to-back years, falling short with a 9-8 record in both 2023 and 2024.

Last season, Burrow had a career year with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns, but he was sacked 48 times behind a suspect offensive line, and Cincinnati's defense ranked 25th in the league in points allowed.

One year earlier, Burrow missed seven games due to injury, thrusting Browning into action. Although the Bengals missed the playoffs, Browning acquitted himself well, going 4-3 in seven starts and completing 70.4 percent of his passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven picks.

That suggests Browning is good enough to keep the Bengals afloat until Burrow is potentially ready to return, although the supporting cast around him could make things difficult.

Browning has the offensive weapons he needs with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and running back Chase Brown, but the O-line is arguably still among the worst in the NFL, and the defense leaves plenty to be desired as well.

At their core, the Bengals are a flawed team, and it can be argued that Burrow and the passing game covered some of their deficiencies last season.

Even so, it wasn't enough for a playoff berth, so it is fair to wonder if the Bengals have a legitimate chance this season with Browning likely having to start double-digit games.