Joe Burrow caught plenty of people off-guard when he showed up to Cincinnati Bengals practice on Monday. The oft-injured quarterback is looking to make a return to action perhaps sooner than expected after having surgery on his toe, and his first game back could come in a pivotal matchup against a formidable AFC opponent.
Joe Burrow Back At Practice, Opens 21-Day Window
The Bengals have done their best to stay afloat while missing their MVP-candidate signal caller. Since Burrow suffered the turf toe injury in Week 2, Cincinnati has managed to win just a single game. There were hopes that Joe Flacco would be able to bridge the gap until Burrow’s potential return date in mid-December, but the team is sitting at 3-6 and in danger of having the season slip away from them completely.
The last two losses have been particularly gut-wrenching, as Cincy has scored a combined 80 points in the last 8 quarters but came away with a defeat in both.
Joe Burrow back at practice, with an eye on playing in next few weeks: pic.twitter.com/gKqFE4xiIk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 10, 2025
With fans and the media ready to throw in the towel on the season, a bit of hope was restored on Monday. With his limited-capacity return to practice, the 21-day window for Joe Burrow to be activated to the roster is now open. The team has already ruled him out of this coming Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and playing against the New England Patriots in Week 12 may be a long shot, too.
There was speculation that he may be eyeing a return on Thanksgiving night when the Bengals take on the Baltimore Ravens, but NFL insider Adam Schefter gave light to another idea.
Adam Schefter Predicts Week 14 Return For Burrow
After the holiday contest in Week 13, the Bengals will have a mini-bye week heading into December. Schefter stated on Tuesday that while Burrow would like to target a Thanksgiving return, the more likely scenario is a return in Week 14. Cincinnati is set to take on the Buffalo Bills on December 7th, in what was originally thought to be a late-season showdown between AFC heavyweights.
A potential return date for Joe Burrow could be Week 14 at Buffalo.
This and more with @DanStanczyk:
🎧 https://t.co/Gl2WBjuKsG pic.twitter.com/TzO4EwFmUD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 11, 2025
But in order for it to be a marquee matchup, the Bengals will have to pick up a couple of wins in the coming weeks. It won’t be easy, as they’ll likely be listed as sizable underdogs against both the Steelers and Patriots, and losses against both would effectively end any hope of rebounding in 2025. And should the team even worry about rushing Burrow back into action if the season is already lost?
The early betting line for this weekend’s game against Pittsburgh has the Bengals listed as 4.5-point underdogs.
