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He may have been a full participant in practice this week, but Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will be sidelined in Week 12.
Burrow reportedly won’t be active for the Bengals’ game against the New England Patriots on Sunday despite practicing fully this week.
Burrow has been working his way back from a turf toe injury suffered in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium, which required surgery. But there was hope the franchise quarterback would be back this week after missing eight games.
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Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals looks to pass during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025, in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Unfortunately for Burrow, the number now moves to nine. In turn, Joe Flacco, who Cincinnati traded for from the Cleveland Browns earlier this season, will start his sixth straight game with Burrow on the sideline.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Friday that he had to be cautious with Burrow, even if he was practicing in full on Wednesday and Thursday. He was listed as a limited participant on Friday, though, which led to some questions about his availability for Sunday.
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Burrow, who remains on the injured reserve list, was listed as “questionable” for the game against the Patriots.
The reason for caution revolves around the Bengals playing two games in five days, as they have the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving night on the road. Perhaps Burrow and the Bengals are targeting the holiday for his long-awaited return to the field.
The fact Burrow has a chance to return is something fans didn’t think they’d see when he landed on injured reserve after needing surgery to repair his injury. Turf toe ailments range in severity, but surgery usually means a player could be out the rest of the season.
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But Burrow has been practicing just fine since he was spotted this week, as the Bengals had him back with the starting offense. Since the Bengals have gone 1-7 since his absence, fans were certainly hoping he would be able to play on Sunday.
In his two starts earlier this season, Burrow threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Browning, his backup in Week 2, finished off the Jaguars to start the season 0-2, but his subsequent struggles led to the trade for Flacco, who has started ever since landing in Cincinnati.
The 40-year-old, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, had his worst start in a Bengals uniform this past week — a 34-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flacco was 23-for-40 for 199 yards with no touchdown passes and a pick-six.
Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals plays against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on Sept. 7, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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The losing streak for the Bengals is not entirely on the offense, though, as Flacco has limited turnovers and found some chemistry with his receivers, especially Ja’Marr Chase. Cincinnati’s defense ranks worst in the NFL in key statistics, including yards allowed per game (418.2) and points allowed (33.4).
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