Injured Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks on the field after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The Bengals won, 33-31. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Zac Taylor Shares Optimistic Health Update on Bengals Star Joe Burrow

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By James Rapien | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 2:18 PM ET

Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow remains on injured reserve after undergoing surgery on his left big toe last month. He suffered a grade 3 toe sprain against the Jaguars in Week 2.

Burrow's in the middle of the recovery process. Head coach Zac Taylor shared an update on the 28-year-old quarterback on Wednesday.

"He’s been good. I don’t have any updates [on the progress]. It’s gone as we had hoped," Taylor said. "He’s had a great attitude, great energy about him. He’s in the meetings, met with him one-on-one, he’s been great to be around, optimistic and things have been going well, but I don’t have any update on the timeline."

The optimistic timeline would have Burrow healthy and ready to return to the field in December.

Sideline Joe

Burrow returned to the sideline in Week 7 with a boot. He shed the boot for normal athletic shoes during Sunday's 39-38 loss to the Jets.

The Bengals lost four-straight games with Burrow injured. Trading for Joe Flacco has given them some renewed home, but their Week 8 loss to the Jets has halted momentum.

Cincinnati is 1-5 this season with Burrow sidelined.

"I can tell his mood when he's overly happy. When he's overly happy, I can 100% see that," Ja'Marr Chase said last week. "Other than that ... well, when he's pissed. I for sure know that one. He cursed me out a couple of times, so I know when he's pissed too."

"He's working pretty hard for the majority of the times that I've seen him in a training room working," Chase added. "I try to walk in there, give him a couple of laughs. So, you know, make his day a little better, but he's working."

This is the third time in six seasons Burrow has dealt with a possible season-ending injury. The Bengals are optimistic he'll return this season, but that wouldn't make much sense if they aren't in the playoff hunt.

Check out video of Burrow on the sideline below:

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