The Cincinnati Bengals entered the Week 10 bye at 3-6, and need a lot to go their way down the second half of the year ot make the playoffs. But, they're not eliminated yet.
By staying alive, the Bengals could wind up seeing Joe Burrow return from an injured reserve stint. Dealing with turf toe, Burrow has been out since Week 2. But, with the Bengals opening his 21-day window to practice, there's hope he'll be back soon.
According to NFL insider Jay Glazer, Burrow is expected to return by Thanksgiving, as Burrow revealed to Glazer when he's roughly set to be back for Cincinnati.
Bengals expected to get Joe Burrow back by Thanksgiving
"Last week Joe Burrow told me he's returning wayyy sooner than was expected and gave me the timeline of 'by Thanksgiving.'" Glazer reports. "Now will start practicing on a limited basis. Absolutely unreal attack of rehab and response. At first, medical people didn't believe he'd be back before playoffs. Huggggge jump for him! He's a G!"
Last week Joe Burrow told me he’s returning wayyyy sooner than was expected and gave me the timeline of “by Thanksgiving.” Now will start practicing on a limited basis. Absolutely unreal attack of rehab and response. At first medical people didn’t believe he’d be back before…
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) November 10, 2025
The Bengals are getting Burrow back before the season gets too out of hand would be a massive boost for the offense. Even though Joe Flacco has been solid as the new backup, the defense has led to their losses in recent weeks.
But, even though the defense won't improve with Burrow back, the vibe shift in Cincinnati could be massive. Having their franchise quarterback back, the team could more easily see a turnaround.
Before landing on injured reserve early in the season, Burrow had 189 passing yards and two touchdowns on 36 passing attempts.
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He struggled a little bit out of the gate, but had tough matchups against the Cleveland Browns before barely playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Not only is Burrow starting to practice, but he's expected to return by Week 13 and Thanksgiving.
He could potentially be back for the Bengals' matchup on Thanksgiving night against the Baltimore Ravens. A win over Baltimore could drastically shift the playoff narrative for Cincinnati, and Burrow has a chance to do so in just three weeks.
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