The Cincinnati Bengals have been without Joe Burrow for nearly the entire NFL season up until Week 12. After landing on Injured Reserve with a turf toe injury after Week 2, Burrow is finally close to a return.
He's practiced all week ahead of the matchup against the New England Patriots, but his return is still up in the air as of Friday. The Bengals need to activate him from IR, and there's a hard deadline for that move if Burrow is to play in Week 12.
As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes, the Bengals have to decide whether to activate Burrow for Week 12's game by Saturday, November 22nd, at 4:00 p.m. EST. If he's not activated by then, Burrow has to stay on IR for one more week.
The Bengals have a hard Saturday deadline to activate Joe Burrow
"The Bengals have until Saturday at 4 pm to move Joe Burrow to the active roster." Rapoport notes, "Until then, he'll be listed as questionable."
Burrow is trending towards playing, but as of Friday, the Bengals franchise quarterback is listed as questionable and isn't back on the active roster.
As long as the Bengals activate him by the Saturday 4:00 p.m. Deadline, then Burrow can start for Cincinnati in their Week 12 matchup against the Patriots.
Cincinnati opened Burrow's 21-day practice window ahead of their Week 11 matchup and will have to activate him from Injured Reserve before Week 14.
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But, with this week of practice and the encouraging signs for Burrow so far, the Bengals could wind up activating him by Saturday's deadline to play in week 12.
Burrow has a chance to play in Week 12, as he's listed as questionable for the Patriots matchup, and the Bengals have some time to determine whether to activate their franchise quarterback or not.
If they don't activate him by Saturday's deadline at 4:00 p.m., then Burrow will remain on Injured Reserve, as Joe Flacco would likely get the start for one more week.
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