Bengals’ Joe Burrow questionable to play vs. Patriots, coach Zac Taylor says

CINCINNATI — A decision on Joe Burrow’s return will have to wait a little longer.

The quarterback is questionable to start for the Cincinnati Bengals against the New England Patriots on Sunday, according to Zac Taylor. The coach said Friday that he has not yet decided whether Burrow will play. The club will have to make a call to activate Burrow from IR by 4 p.m. (ET) Saturday for him to be eligible to play.

“Joe has done everything he can to put himself in a position to get back,” Taylor said after practice Friday. “We are just going to keep taking our time on this one. No decision has been made. He was limited today in practice. I feel comfortable waiting as long as we can to make this decision.”

Burrow, who sustained a turf toe injury on his left foot in Week 2 that required surgery, practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday, but he was limited in a lighter session on Friday. He was officially listed as questionable on the injury report.

Taylor left open the possibility of activating Burrow and having him serve as the backup or even as the emergency third quarterback.

“Everything is on the table,” Taylor said.

Joe Flacco will start if Burrow doesn’t and if he’s healthy enough to play despite an AC joint sprain, which he’s played through in the past. It would be Flacco’s sixth start with Cincinnati. The Bengals are fourth in the NFL in points per drive since Flacco joined the team in Week 6.

The success the offense has enjoyed, along with doing what’s best for Burrow in the long run, only adds more factors to the equation of the decision.

“I have to take into account what I think is best for him,” Taylor said. “He’s coming back off an injury. He’s been out for a long time. I know he’s of the right mindset and has done everything physically, and then I have to take into account what’s the best thing for him, what’s the best thing for our team, and make the soundest decision.”

The initial diagnosis for recovery from this type of surgery was three months in the most aggressive timeline, which would have placed Burrow at a return in mid-December. He blew that away. He will be 65 days removed from surgery on Sunday.

Players and coaches alike have reported that Burrow looked great in practice this week, but a notable factor was beyond just playing against New England. Cincinnati must play two games in five days, including a Thanksgiving night game in Baltimore against the Ravens.

“He looks healthy,” Taylor said. “You expect it to respond great when he’s out there getting tackled — you don’t know. So every day that you can take matters with any injury, two games in five days, you have to count for that. You have to take that all into consideration.”

Cincinnati is 3-7 on the season and lost seven of eight games in Burrow’s absence. It boasts the worst defense in league history by DVOA through 10 games. The Bengals are three games back of division-leading Pittsburgh. The Bengals will be without their top target, suspended receiver Ja’Marr Chase, against the Patriots, who have won eight consecutive games.

Taylor said the conversations with Burrow have been honest from both sides over the decision on his plate.

“That’s what every conversation has been that we’ve had for over a week — just full transparency,” Taylor said. “We’re at that place where I’m going to tell you everything I think, the pros, the cons and I want to hear the same from you. He’s done a great job communicating. We’re totally on the same page.”

The 28-year-old Burrow was coming off a 2024 season in which he played at an MVP level, won NFL Comeback Player of the Year (for the second time) and went to the Pro Bowl after throwing 43 touchdowns against just nine interceptions. He experienced his first fully healthy and uninterrupted training camp and preseason this year, only to see his season stopped after trying to avoid a sack against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 14.

The Bengals have seven games remaining in the season. After playing the Patriots and Ravens, they travel to Buffalo, then take on the Ravens at home again before finishing against Miami, Arizona and Cleveland.

Cincinnati was 4-8 last season after 12 games and went on to rip off five consecutive wins to close the year. However, it narrowly missed making the playoffs. Given the state of the team, the schedule and the return after two months off, Burrow returning the Bengals back into relevancy would be an unprecedented development, no matter when he plays.

What’s clear is Burrow wants to play, no matter how dire the circumstances or the team’s record, just another factor for Taylor to consider.

“Winning is important,” Taylor said. “Obviously, he is who he is, and he gives us an outstanding chance to win games. … He wants to play football. He’s a football player.”