The NFL season had started off on the right foot for the Cincinnati Bengals, but things slowly began to unravel as the weeks went by. Joe Burrow’s injury forced head coach Zac Taylor to turn to Jake Browning under center, but things haven’t gone well — not just in the stats, but in overall performance as well.
The turf toe injury Burrow suffered in Week 2 ultimately required surgery, and early reports indicated he’d be sidelined for several months. That raises the question: could the star quarterback look to accelerate his return if Browning continues to struggle — especially with the Bengals’ playoff hopes hanging in the balance?
Zac Taylor spoke to the media about the ongoing battle for the QB1 spot following the team’s third straight loss — this time to the Lions. Shutting down any speculation, the head coach expressed full confidence in what Browning can bring to the table moving forward, at least until Joe Burrow is back to 100%.
“I do. Of course, after a game like that we’re going to look at all personnel to make sure we are doing the right thing. I won’t shy away from that because it’s a very fair question after the amount of turnovers we had,” he said via @pauldehnerjr.
“To say that I don’t think Jake can win games for us – I believe Jake can win games for us. I do. We’ll just continue to look at everything we can, personnel-wise.”
Browning’s numbers so far
Since stepping in for an injured Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning has appeared in 4 total games this 2025 NFL season, starting 3. His season totals currently stand at 757 passing yards on 80 completions from 124 attempts, resulting in a 64.5% completion percentage and a 70.5 passer rating.
While he has managed to throw 6 touchdowns, his season has been hampered by turnovers, with 8 interceptions through Week 5. In the Week 2 win against the Jaguars, where he took over mid-game, Browning recorded 241 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions, along with a rushing touchdown. As the Bengals continue to navigate without their starter, Browning has averaged 6.1 yards per pass attempt and has been sacked 9 times.
When could Joe Burrow return?
The Cincinnati Bengals are bracing for a multi-month absence for franchise quarterback Joe Burrow, who underwent surgery for a severe Grade 3 turf toe injury suffered in Week 2. While the official recovery timeline is set at “at least three months,” a best-case scenario would place his earliest possible return around Week 16 in mid-December.
However, sources familiar with the demanding nature of this particular injury caution that this is an aggressive projection, suggesting a potential return may not happen until the postseason, and only if the Bengals—currently leaning on backup Jake Browning—can remain squarely in the playoff hunt. Given the high risk of re-injury with a premature comeback, the team will be forced to balance their playoff aspirations against the long-term health of their star signal-caller.