Is Joe Burrow playing this week? Latest news, updates on Bengals QB’s status for Week 12 vs. Patriots
The Cincinnati Bengals have played 10 games so far in the 2025 NFL season, but Joe Burrow has been fully available for only one of them. In Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he went down with an injury that was later deemed turf toe.
The injury, diagnosed as Grade 3 turf toe, required surgery, which he had in September. Cincinnati opened the 21-day practice window for Burrow on November 10. This means that he has to be activated to the main roster by December 1, or he will be placed on season-ending IR. Burrow has two games left in the window, Week 12 against the New England Patriots and a “Thursday Night Football” game in Week 13 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Here is the latest on whether or not Burrow will suit up in Week 12.
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Burrow’s game status for Week 12 against the Patriots has not yet been determined. He was listed as a full practice participant on Wednesday, which is an encouraging sign.
Head coach Zac Taylor was asked several times about the quarterback’s status in a weekly radio appearance, but kept saying some version of, “I’m not there yet.” While this could just be gamesmanship, the fact that it isn’t an automatic “no” as it was in past weeks, is a step in the right direction for Burrow getting back out there.
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Burrow was sacked during the Bengals’ Week 2 game against the Jaguars. After the play, the quarterback stayed down and pointed to his ankle/foot. He was removed from the game and eventually diagnosed with turf toe. It was deemed a Grade 3 injury, and it required him to have surgery, which he did in September.
Burrow was added to IR, meaning that he had to miss at least four games, and he has now missed seven.
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Burrow’s backup started out as Jake Browning. He led a comeback win over the Jaguars in Week 2, but then lost three straight games. This caused Cincinnati to make a deal with the Cleveland Browns to acquire veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. He lost his debut with the team against the Green Bay Packers, but beat the Pittsburgh Steelers the next week in Week 7. Flacco and the Bengals have lost three straight games with Burrow’s return on the horizon.
If Burrow is fully healthy, he will be the unquestioned starter for the team. Flacco has played well enough, but it hasn’t always translated to wins. The Bengals lost to the Chicago Bears 47-42 in Week 9, but the veteran quarterback threw for 470 yards in the loss.
Browning figures to be the odd man out when Burrow returns. He will likely be relegated to the practice squad when the starter is activated.
