One of the biggest moments of the NFL season came in Week 2 when Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow went down with an injury. Burrow has been out with a toe injury and was expected to miss most of the season. However, reports have started to come out that indicate he could return sooner than expected.
Joe Burrow Injury Update
The initial timeline for Joe Burrow to return was towards the end of the season. As a result, the Bengals were expected to need to stay in playoff position without him if they wanted any chance of playing in the postseason. While the Bengals have struggled without Burrow, there is a chance he could be back sooner than expected.
On Sunday, insider Ian Rappoport reported that Joe Burrow is back on the practice field.
“Finally, a reason for optimism in Cincy. Joe Burrow is back on the practice field. Trey Hendrickson avoids IR with eyes on a return.”
Rappoport then followed up with a Tweet, indicating that Burrow is targeting a return on Thanksgiving or the following week.
“Joe Burrow is likely back on field Thanksgiving or the following week. Trey Hendrickson plans to put off potential core muscle surgery to be back for the stretch run. Can the Bengals win a few in the meantime?”
Joe Burrow is likely back on field Thanksgiving or the following week. Trey Hendrickson plans to put off potential core muscle surgery to be back for the stretch run.
Can the #Bengals win a few in the meantime? https://t.co/W1mjpelMSv
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 16, 2025
Joe Burrow Fantasy Outlook
The news that Joe Burrow could be returning soon is good news for fantasy owners. Burrow is one of the top fantasy quarterbacks when healthy, and as a result, if he returns in the next few weeks, he can bolster your fantasy roster before the fantasy playoffs.
One thing to keep an eye on is the Bengals’ performance the next two weeks against Pittsburgh and New England. The Bengals are 3-6 and will likely need to win at least one of those games without Burrow to stay in playoff contention.
Teams typically need 10 wins to qualify for the playoffs, sometimes nine. So, the Bengals only have room to lose one more game this season if they want to go on a run with Burrow. If they lose both games, the Bengals are less incentivized to bring Burrow back sooner.
Read More:
Joe Burrow Injury: What Does Cincinnati Star’s Practice Return Mean for QB?
What Happened to Joe Burrow? Bengals Star Exits Game With Apparent Injury vs Jacksonville
