Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is set to make his long-awaited return from a Grade 3 turf toe sprain on Thursday against the AFC North-rival Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving Day. Thought to be out for the remainder of the season, Burrow defied expectations by recovering from surgery faster than expected. The 28-year-old quarterback had a procedure done on September 19 and is returning to the field nearly a month ahead of his original timetable.
Burrow Recalls Watching Stafford, Lions on Thanksgiving Day
Burrow appeared excited to return against the Ravens, who currently are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the division lead at 6-5. During the press conference, he recalled some of his favorite memories watching NFL games on Thanksgiving and managed to take a shot at Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions in the process.
“You watch Matthew Stafford throw for 300, 400-something yards with Calvin Johnson, and probably lose the game,” Burrow recalled. “But it was fun to watch.”
#Bengals QB Joe Burrow on playing on Thanksgiving:
“You grow up going through Thanksgiving — you have your meals, and you sit on the couch … watch the Lions vs. somebody, watch Matthew Stafford throw 300–400 yards with Calvin Johnson, and probably lose the game.”😂 pic.twitter.com/fTsagL7ymN
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 25, 2025
Burrow Explains Why He Opted To Return Despite Bengals Playoff Hopes
The Bengals have just a 1% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics, but that wasn’t going to stop Burrow from pushing himself during the recovery process.
“We pushed it within the limits of what we could do, and kind of just based it on how I was feeling, how I was recovering, how it looked the next day after we pushed it, and just went from there,” Burrow said to reporters on Tuesday.
The Bengals come into Thanksgiving Day having lost eight of their last nine games to fall to 3-9 on the season. Many questioned why the Bengals franchise quarterback would continue to play this season with the team trending towards missing the playoffs.
“I understand why people feel that way,” Burrow said. “But you look at it from my perspective. I’m a football player, and if I get hurt, I’m going to go through the rehab process and I’m going to let everybody know when I feel like I can go out there and play. I don’t know really what else to say about that.”
What Burrow’s Return Means for Cincinnati Moving Forward
While the Bengals have little hope of climbing back into the AFC playoff picture, Burrow’s return could carry some significant weight, especially for head coach Zac Taylor.
Taylor is among the NFL coaches on the hot seat down the stretch, in large part due to how the defense has performed over the past two seasons.
Cincinnati ranks dead last in the NFL in total defense (415.8 yards per game) and scoring defense (32.7 points per game) through 11 contests.
Since 2021, the Bengals have used 11 top-100 draft picks on defensive players, the third-highest total during that span, according to Pro Football Reference.
Those resources haven’t translated to results, but Burrow’s return gives the organization a clearer evaluation window of what the current roster needs in order to return to Super Bowl contention. And despite the noise surrounding Taylor, the Bengals front office has maintained that it intends to compete for a Lombardi Trophy, as long as Burrow is under center.
“The window is my whole career,” Burrow said. “Things are going to change year to year, but our window is always open.”
