Comebacks have been something of a theme throughout Joe Burrow’s career. The quarterback has missed at least six games three times in six years—including nine games a year ago with a toe injury.
The first two times the 29-year-old missed significant time with injury, he won NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.
While speaking to reporters, Burrow said that he’s feeling as well as he had in some time:
“I had some tough years with injuries and stuff, and it took a while to get my body the way I wanted it, but now I’m in a really good place. I had a lot of time this year. You know, I hurt my big toe in Week 2, and I couldn’t be on the field, but it wasn’t as debilitating an injury as some of the others I’ve had. So, I was able to keep working out and staying in shape, keeping my body strong. I had time to recover and still got back to play. The older I get, the more knowledge I have about my body to make sure I’m doing the right things to put myself in positions to be as strong, fast, and powerful as I can be.”
We have seen what a healthy Burrow can do—the last time he played a full season, Burrow led the league in passing yards (4,918) and touchdown passes (43). Burrow has also taken the Bengals all the way to a Super Bowl.
Playing on a loaded offense with an improved defense, Burrow should be among the most prolific quarterbacks in the league in 2026.