Joe Burrow hasn't played since Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season, but the Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback will return from his toe injury to start in Week 13, Thanksgiving Thursday night at the Ravens.
Burrow was practicing in full ahead of Cincinnati hosting the New England Patriots last week, but coach Zac Taylor decided to wait, sticking with Joe Flacco in another loss. Burrow, after the Bengals started 2-0, ended up missing nine games, in which his team went 1-8 to drop to 3-8, on the brink of elimination from the AFC North and wild-card races.
The Bengals went through three awful losing starts from former fill-in Jake Browning before trading with the Cleveland Browns to put Flacco on his third AFC North team. Flacco was better at executing the passing game than Browning the past six games, but the team still went only 1-5 in Flacco's starts.
No matter what the QB does, defense remains the big lingering problem standing in the way of the Bengals winning more. They are a league-worst 32nd in total defense (yardage allowed), 32nd vs. The pass, and 31st vs. The run.
Burrow, unfortunately, cannot play on both sides of the ball or do much to help the defense beyond protecting the ball. Here's looking at what effect he has on the offense and more:
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What Joe Burrow's return means for Bengals' playoff chances
The Bengals' playoff chances are slim to none with their 3-8 record. The best they can do is 9-8, with winning the AFC North their only true path. They are three games behind the 6-5 Ravens for the division lead and also three games behind the 6-5 now second-place Steelers. They also have the same record as the last-place Browns after that team won in Week 12.
The Chargers, Jaguars and Bills hold the AFC's three wild-card spots all at 7-4. There are only six games left for the Bengals to make up four games that way, near impossible.
The Bengals would need to run the table, and that's unlikely given they play the Ravens, Bills and Ravens in the next three weeks. Burrow can't do enough to save a playoff run for the team, but he can make the team a lot more competitive.
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What Joe Burrow's return means for the Bengals' offense
Although Flacco has done his best to keep the Bengals' passing game respectable with weapons such as high-priced wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and versatile back Chase Brown, the Bengals were still middle of the pack in passing offense (222.2 yards per game, 15th in the NFL and below average in scoring offense (22.5 points per game, 18th in the NFL).
Last season, when the Bengals went 9-8 and Burrow started all 17 games, they were No. 1 in passing offense (272.9 yards per game) and No. 6 in scoring offense (27.8 points per game). That's about 50 more yards and 5 more points per game with Burrow at QB.
Top wideout Ja'Marr Chase, suspended for Week 12, is fifth in the NFL in receptions (79) after winning the position's statistical Triple Crown with 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 TDs. Without Burrow for 8 games, Chase was on pace for 134 catches for 1,464 yards and 9 TDs, with his yards per reception dropping from 13.4 to 20.9. Chase should get a huge boost in Week 13.
Higgins (when he returns from his Week 12 concussion), Brown, the extra wide receivers and the tight ends will all benefit, too, from Burrow's big arm and accuracy. The Bengals' pass protection, which allowed 48 sacks of Burrow last season, has been better, on pace for giving up fewer than 40 this season.
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What Joe Burrow's return means for the Bengals' defense
The Bengals need to protect their defense by helping to turn the opponents into one-dimensional passing teams. The way to do that is by being more aggressive with downfield passing early so they can get hot and score early and build a lead. The Bengals, with their defense, are passing at an easy league-high 67 percent rate. Ideally, they will pass more early in games and then turn more to the running game later to help keep the defense off the field.
Burrow gives them a chance to do that after Flacco got caught in too many back-and-forth affairs and wilted under the pressure of being forced to pass too much late.
The Bengals also should not turn over the ball as much, which puts the defense in more precarious situations the opponents have shorter fields. Last year, the Bengals were +3 with Burrow with takeaways vs. Giveaways. This year, they've plummeted to -7 in turnover margin.
What Joe Burrow's return means for Zac Taylor's job status
Taylor is under contract through the 2026 season. Although notably, the team moved on from predecessor Marvin Lewis when he had one year left on his deal, it's unlikely the Bengals would fire Taylor with the Super Bowl 56 trip from 2021 still short enough to the rearview.
Lewis parted ways with the team after his 16th season. Taylor is finishing up his seventh season. Burrow can help restore much of the offensive mojo for Taylor, also the play-caller. There's a chance for Taylor to make his case to stay by looking at bringing back offensive coordinator Brian Callahan (fired by the Titans) and moving on from defensive coordinator Al Golden after the lack of improvement from the end of the Lou Anarumo era.
Cincinnati isn't an organization known for making bold moves and rocking the boat. Team officials will probably give Taylor a Burrow-related pass, with 2026 bringing the true hot seat.
MORE: Joe Burrow's injury history, from 2020 knee tear to turf toe
What Joe Burrow's return means for Joe Flacco's future
The Browns signed Flacco to a one-year, $4 million deal for his second stint with the team in April. With Deshaun Watson not being an option, Flacco ended up winning the starting job over rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders and made Kenny Pickett expendable in a trade to the Raiders.
Flacco was benched in Cleveland for Gabriel after a rough first month, which opened the door for him to be traded to the Bengals in early October to replace Browning. Now that Burrow is returning, Flacco's latest starting stretch is coming to a close.
Flacco, 40, will turn 41 next January. The veteran backup QB market should have a few more options for the Bengals, but the Bengals might be the only No. 2 option for Flacco. Despite the initial passing spark, Flacco's limitations as an older second-act journeyman have shown up in Cincinnati, too. It would behoove the Bengals to move on from Flacco, not tender restricted free agent Browning and develop a new drafted rookie backup for Burrow in 2026.
MORE: Complete timeline of Joe Flacco's extensive NFL career