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3 Players Who Must Step Up in the Absence of Joe Burrow

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Will Koshover | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 9:00 AM ET

With Joe Burrow sidelined for at least the next three months, the Cincinnati Bengals find themselves at a crossroads after being humiliated by the Minnesota Vikings. The coaches will be working overtime trying to fix the most anemic offense and rushing attack in the NFL, as the defense also has issues that need attention. Injuries in the NFL are inevitable, but are magnified when a player of the caliber of Burrow is lost for an extended period of time. He commands so much at the line of scrimmage and is the maestro with the most responsibility at his position, with the offensive line tasked with a difficult job based on the style of play that QB1 prefers. The fact remains that there are 14 games left, and a whole lot of unknowns about whether Burrow will even return in 2025. It’s time for the team to rally and build off their 2-1 record. Let’s examine the three players who must step up in the absence of the franchise.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) walks the sideline in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 3 game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. The Vikings won, 48-10.

3 Players Who Must Step Up in the Absence of Joe Burrow

Jake Browning

The obvious choice is Jake Browning. Cincinnati desperately needs him to play like he did in 2023, when he started in the final seven games of the season, and threw for 1936 yards with 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions for a completion percentage of 70.4%, keeping the Bengals in the playoff race until the very end.

Browning wasn’t awful against the Vikings, all things considered. He is getting zero help from the offensive line and running game, and this must be fixed against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. The leash is long for Browning as he will get more opportunities in the hopes that Burrow can return in 2025.

Trey Hendrickson

Another player who needs to upgrade is EDGE Trey Hendrickson. He’s not off to a poor start with two sacks and six Solo tackles, but he often gets blanked by the top offensive tackles in the league.

No one in the NFL has more sacks since 2023 than Trey Hendrickson, who came into Sunday's game leading the league in pressures.

Christian Darrisaw, in his first game back from injury, made Hendrickson a complete non-factor. 71 is so, so good. pic.twitter.com/uQ57Ew4O75

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) September 22, 2025

Hendrickson often improves as the season progresses and has shown the ability not only to take over a game but also to masterfully close it out in the fourth quarter. The Bengals need more of late-season Trey right now as they look to support Browning as much as possible.

Orlando Brown Jr.

The early returns on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. haven’t been great through three games, and he looks slow at times. It’s fair to wonder if Burrow covered up even more deficiencies along the OL with his ability to adapt and audible to a better play if the look required. It’s unclear if Brown is battling an injury or fighting through something that is nagging, but if he’s starting, he has to be better, especially in run blocking.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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