by: Steve Samra 7 hours ago SamraSource
It’s a Thanksgiving miracle for the Bengals. As they cling on to any semblance of hope for getting to the playoffs, head coach Zac Taylor revealed quarterback Joe Burrow will return to the starting lineup.
“From Zac Taylor: Joe Burrow is expected to play Thursday for the Bengals,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo posted on X. “WR Tee Higgins and DE Trey Hendrickson are out.”
Burrow has been sidelined since exiting with the injury of turf toe in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bengals have lost eight of nine since then, now sitting at 3-8 overall.
While he was thought to be lost for the season, Burrow returned to practice at the start of last week and has been trending toward a potential return this season. Now, it’s known it’ll come on Thanksgiving night.
In two games played, Burrow has thrown for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Those were both games the Bengals wound up winning, meaning they are 1-7 in his absence. Not everything can be blamed on not having Burrow, as Cincinnati is also home to one of the NFL’s worst defenses.
Heading into the 2025 season, Burrow, the former No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, was coming off a phenomenal 2024 campaign in which he passed for 4,198 yards, 43 touchdowns, and was named Comeback Player of the Year for the second time.