Bengals' Joe Burrow Underwent Surgery on Toe Injury, No Timeline for Return

After the Cincinnati Bengals placed Joe Burrow on injured reserve earlier this week, the star quarterback underwent surgery on Friday.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed the procedure, adding it "went well" and that there's no timeline for his return.

Burrow suffered a turf toe injury midway through the second quarter of Sunday's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was moving around the pocket trying to avoid pressure and was sacked by Arik Armstead.

The Bengals star had to be helped to the locker room for evaluation. He was seen using a walking boot and a crutch to get around after the game was over.

Taylor confirmed on Monday that Burrow would need surgery. The expectation is he will be out for at least three months, with ESPN's Adam Schefter noting the team was making calls to free-agent quarterbacks to add depth.

The team subsequently signed Mike White and Sean Clifford to its practice squad.

The most optimistic timeline would have Burrow back on the field at some point in mid-December, assuming he has surgery as soon as possible. That would be right around Week 15 against the Baltimore Ravens or Week 16 against the Miami Dolphins.

In the interim, the Bengals will turn to Jake Browning as their starting quarterback. He went 21-of-32 for 241 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions against Jacksonville after stepping in for Burrow.

An undrafted free agent in 2019, Browning didn't appear in an NFL game until his fifth season. He started the final seven games of the 2023 campaign for the Bengals when Burrow was out with a wrist injury.

The 29-year-old led the NFL with a 70.4 completion percentage, while throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine appearances in 2023.

Cincinnati is off to a 2-0 start this season with wins over the Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. The Bengals will look to keep their perfect record intact on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.