Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass in the first quarter of the NFL Week 2 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. The Jaguars led 17-10 at halftime. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow Takes Step Forward Following Toe Surgery

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By James Rapien | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 8:35 AM ET

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was back at Paycor Stadium on Monday. He reunited with his teammates for the first time since undergoing toe surgery on Friday.

The star quarterback was on a scooter in the locker room. He had his left foot wrapped. He had surgery on his left big toe.

Burrow is expected to miss at least three months after suffering a grade 3 turf toe injury in Cincinnati's 31-27 win over the Jaguars. He tore ligaments in his toe that required surgery.

"Joe just had surgery. He's in recovery. Everything went well. No timeline (for a return)," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on Friday.

Dr. Norman Waldrop performed the surgery. The foot and ankle specialist is part of Dr. Robert Anderson's practice. He has performed surgeries on some of the NFL's best players, includung Tua Tagovailoa and Derrick Henry.

Burrow isn't expected to travel with the team for their Week 4 matchup with the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. He'll stay in Cincinnati and continue to get rest and treatment.

The Bengals haven't ruled out the possibility of Burrow returning to action this season. Internally, there's hope that he could get back on the field for a possible playoff run.

The only way that can happen is if the team wins games with Jake Browning at quarterback.

They got off to a rough start on Sunday, falling to the Vikings 48-10. The 38-point defeat was the worst loss in team history.

The Bengals are confident they can get things turned around with Browning under center.

"There has to be a great amount of awareness on the part of the coaches with regard to what all of our guys are good at and where maybe they struggled," offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. "That's where it all has to work together. We're working our way through that. We're going to do it with enthusiasm. And as bad as we feel, we were in a heck of a lot worse place sitting in this room a year ago. So we can get this moving in the right direction, and we're going to. Because we have the right type of people."

The Bengals play the Broncos on Monday Night Football next week. It's a chance to start 3-1 for the first time since 2021. It would also increase the chances of Burrow playing football again this season.