The Cincinnati Bengals are oh-so-close to getting quarterback Joe Burrow back for the Week 13 contest against the Baltimore Ravens.
Burrow suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury all the way back in Week 2 and has been on the shelf ever since.
While the expectation was that Burrow would be out until mid-December, at the earliest, that timeline changed after the Bengals designated him to return from injured reserve in recent weeks.
Burrow was able to log full practices last week, but the Bengals held him out for one more game.
Here's what we know about his prospects of returning to the field on Thursday.
Will Joe Burrow return in Week 13?
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on Monday that he "anticipates" Burrow returning to action in Week 13.
"I anticipate him playing, but we'll continue to work through the week. I'm not going to declare that definitively," Taylor said, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. "Coming off an injury, he's done everything he could. He put himself in position to do his best to play (last Sunday). We'll continue with that mindset. He looks like he's in good shape right now and he can be ready to go."
On the Bengals' first estimated injury report of the week, Burrow was listed as a full participant, which is another very good sign he's going to play.
What Burrow looks like in his return remains to be seen, though. After all, he missed significant time due to his injury and there could be some rust.
"Difficult to predict. It has been several months," Taylor stated when asked about how he expects Burrow to look in his first game back. "He's put himself in great shape. It's good to see him through the progression that we've had over the last several weeks."
Burrow has a tall task in front of him in terms of saving the Bengals' season, as the team sits with a three-percent chance to make the postseason, according to the New York Times Playoff Simulator.
Cincinnati enters Week 13 with a 3-8 record and is tied for last place in the AFC North. The Bengals are also sitting in the No. 12 spot in the AFC playoff race, so things aren't looking good there, either.
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