The return of Cincinnati Bengals superstar quarterback Joe Burrow appears to be imminent, with everything trending in the right direction ahead of the Week 12 clash with the red-hot New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium.
Burrow hasn’t played since suffering a toe injury during Week 2’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The injury required surgery and has sidelined him for the majority of the 2025 NFL season, which has taken a significant toll on the Bengals’ chances of being playoff-bound.
However, Burrow has a chance to play against the Patriots, which has star wide receiver Tee Higgins excited about catching passes from his quarterback this weekend in Cincinnati.
Tee Higgins Reacts to Joe Burrow’s Return
GettyTee Higgins #5, Ja’Marr Chase #1, and Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Burrow has been back in the mix at Bengals’ practice, which is an excellent sign that he’ll return to the field sooner rather than later. Higgins was asked during media availability on Thursday about how Burrow has looked at practice, and it seems like the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback is already back to form.
“Joe’s been looking outstanding, man,” Higgins said. “He’s slinging it deep, short routes. Everything’s been pretty good.”
Although Burrow looks like his dominant self on the practice field, Higgins wants the superstar gunslinger to take as much time as he needs before playing another game, but is anxious to get him back under center.
“He needs to take as much time as he needs, but I mean, he looks good,” Higgins said. “If he’s ready, then I’m ready. Take as much time as you need to get back to 100 percent, which I think he is now.”
With Burrow’s injury history always being a concern moving forward, it remains to be seen if he makes his return to the gridiron this week or is held out for another week as a precaution.
Joe Burrow Listed as Questionable vs. Patriots
GettyJoe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals.
With Burrow trending in the right direction in terms of looking healthy and back to form during practice ahead of Week 12’s matchup with the Patriots, there’s a chance he replaces Joe Flacco on the field this Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor let it be known on Friday that Burrow looks ready to return, but is listed as questionable, with “no decision” yet made on whether he’ll play against New England, via Kelsey Conway of Cincinnati.com.
“I think Joe has done everything he can to put himself in a position to get back,” Taylor said of his superstar quarterback. “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. “
It appears that the Bengals are hesitant to name Burrow the starter against the Patriots, but a decision is forthcoming.
“Everything is moving in a great position,” Taylor said. “Now we just have to make a decision. You play a game Sunday, you play a game Thursday, you got to factor in all that stuff. He has tried to put himself in a position to be ready to go and we’ll try to make a decision later.”
If Burrow does play, it’ll be interesting to see where he is health-wise and whether he can give Cincinnati a decent chance of pulling off the upset over the Patriots.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins Opens Up on Joe Burrow’s Return to Practice