Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow to Undergo Surgery on Left Toe
CINCINNATI (AP) – Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will undergo surgery to repair an injury to his left toe, head coach Zac Taylor confirmed following Sunday’s 27-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The injury occurred during the second quarter when Burrow was sacked by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead for a 5-yard loss with 9:02 remaining in the first half. It was the second sack Burrow had taken in the game.
Burrow went to the sideline medical tent and later left the field with a noticeable limp before heading to the locker room. Wide receiver Tee Higgins stated after the game, “Its tough right now. We’re going to be OK. He’s a strong guy. We look forward to seeing what the results are.”
The injury is the latest setback for burrow, who has been sacked 201 times in six seasons – the second most in the league since 2020. This incident reignites scrutiny of the Bengals’ front office decisions to prioritize contracts for players like Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase without bolstering the offensive line.
taylor acknowledged the criticism, stating, “I get it.I understand where people are going to come from. They’re going to be very attacking of us. Our style of play got us to a Super Bowl, two AFC championship games and two division titles, and won a lot of games for us. We’re always evaluating how we can protect our players and put them in the best position possible.” He added, regarding the nature of the injury, “I don’t know how a turf toe injury fully happens, if you get hit or stepped on. I know that possibly he could have been clean for 99% of the game,and the one play is where this happens.”
the timing of the injury is particularly challenging for the Bengals, who face a arduous stretch of games beginning next week at Minnesota, followed by four consecutive opponents who made the playoffs last year.
jake Browning will start in Burrow’s absence.Browning completed 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in Sunday’s win, and scored the game-winning touchdown with 18 seconds remaining. Taylor expressed confidence in Browning,saying,”We have a ton of confidence in Jake. He proved that yesterday. We’re excited for Jake to go there and play. He’s earned the right to be in the spotlight.” Browning has played 13 games for Cincinnati and previously went 4-3 as a starter two years ago when Burrow was sidelined.
Brett Rypien is expected to be promoted from the practice squad onc Burrow is placed on injured reserve, though the team will also seek to add another quarterback to either the active roster or practice squad.
Burrow led the NFL in passing yards last season with 4,918 and threw 43 touchdown passes. He previously missed six games in his rookie season in 2020 due to a knee injury and seven games in 2023 with a wrist injury.