Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow appears to be ready to return from an injury that has sidelined him since Week 2.
On Monday, Burrow teased his return with an old viral photo:
That comes as head coach Zac Taylor told reporters on Monday that he anticipates Burrow playing against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday:
The Bengals will, however, be without receiver Tee Higgins (concussion) and defensive end Trey Hendrickson (hip).
Burrow led Cincinnati to a 2-0 start this season, but a turf toe injury suffered in a Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars landed him on injured reserve.
The expectation after Burrow had surgery to repair his toe was that he would miss at least three months. Cincinnati opened his practice window during its bye in Week 10.
Burrow told reporters on Nov. 10 that he was targeting the Bengals’ Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Ravens as his potential return date.
His timeline got a boost on Nov. 19 when the Bengals listed him as a full practice participant in their first session leading up to a Week 12 game against the New England Patriots.
The Bengals need to carefully monitor Burrow to avoid potentially overextending him, especially given the injury issues that have impacted him throughout his career. This season marks the third time in his six-year NFL career that he has missed at least six games.
A healthy Burrow, though, makes the Bengals a potential spoiler for teams in the playoff race down the stretch. Their postseason hopes are a long shot because they went 1-8 in the nine games he has missed.
Cincinnati has a capable backup in Joe Flacco to run the offense if he is called on once again. He has thrown for 1,243 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in five starts.
