Division rivals clash today as Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season brings us an exciting Thanksgiving matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium, with many wondering about Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins‘ presence for the visitors.
If the holiday wasn’t enough to attract viewers, fans will have an extra reason to tune in as Burrow will make his long-awaited return to action. The Bengals activated Burrow from injured reserve on Wednesday before flying to Baltimore, paving the way for his first start in 75 days.
Higgins, on the other hand, won’t play tonight. The wide receiver suffered a concussion during Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots, and the Thanksgiving Night clash came too soon for him.
Burrow, Bengals missing other players apart from Higgins vs. Ravens
Needless to say, recovering Burrow is exactly what everyone in Cincinnati wanted for weeks, but the Bengals won’t be at full strength in Baltimore as Higgins is just one of many players missing tonight’s clash.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor also ruled out star defensive end Trey Hendrickson (hip/pelvis) and running back Tahj Brooks (concussion) for the Ravens game.
Not an ideal situation for the Bengals, who have no margin for error as their 3-8 record sees them third in the AFC North behind the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, both at 6-5. At least they’ll have Burrow back, as tonight could represent the start of a late comeback in the 2025 NFL regular season.
How many games has Burrow missed and what was the Bengals’ record without him?
Burrow hasn’t played since Week 2, when he exited the second quarter of the Bengals’ win over the Jacksonville Jaguars after tearing ligaments in his toe. That injury required surgery and forced him to miss nine games, with Cincinnati going 1-8 without its star QB.
While the Bengals’ playoff hopes look slim, the LSU star is returning just in time to try and keep those aspirations alive. The uphill battle for a postseason berth starts tonight, with a great opportunity to shake things up in the AFC North.