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He may have been a full participant in practice this week, but Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is sitting out Week 12.
Burrow reportedly won’t be active for the Bengals’ game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, although he has practiced fully this week.
Burrow has been working his way back from a turf toe injury suffered in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium that required surgery. But there was hope the franchise quarterback would be back this week after missing eight games.
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Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals looks to pass during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Unfortunately for Burrow, the number now moves to nine. On the other hand, Joe Flacco, who Cincinnati traded for from the Cleveland Browns earlier this season, will start his sixth straight game with Burrow on the sideline.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters Friday to be careful with Burrow, even though he practiced fully Wednesday and Thursday. However, he was listed as a limited participant on Friday, leading to some questions about his availability for Sunday.
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Burrow, who remains on the injured reserve list, was listed as “questionable” for the game against the Patriots.
The reason for caution revolves around the Bengals playing two games in five days as they have the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving night on the road. Perhaps Burrow and the Bengals are targeting the holidays for his long-awaited return to the field.
The fact that Burrow has a chance to return is something fans didn’t think they would see when he landed on injured reserve after having surgery to repair his injury. Ankle disorders vary in severity, but surgery usually means a player may be out for the rest of the season.
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But Burrow has been practicing fine since being spotted this week when the Bengals had him back with the starting offense. With the Bengals going 1-7 since his absence, fans were certainly hoping he would be able to play on Sunday.
In his two starts earlier this season, Burrow threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Browning, his backup in Week 2, shut out the Jaguars to start the season 0-2, but his subsequent struggles led to the trade for Flacco, who has started ever since landing in Cincinnati.
The 40-year-old, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, had his worst start in a Bengals uniform last week – a 34-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flacco was 23-for-40 for 199 yards with no touchdown passes and a pick-six.
Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals plays against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on September 7, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The losing streak for the Bengals isn’t all on offense, though, as Flacco has limited turnovers and found some chemistry with his receivers, especially Ja’Marr Chase. Cincinnati’s defense ranks worst in the NFL in key stats, including yards allowed per game. game (418.2) and points allowed (33.4).
