He’s back a full month ahead of schedule according to original projections following a toe injury that sidelined him in Week 2. A return once thought to come in December could now happen around Thanksgiving, according to a newsweek.com article citing Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.
This timeline could set him up for a primetime matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in three weeks. On paper, it’s the kind of comeback story fans love: a tough, franchise quarterback battling back to give his 3-6 team a shot at staying alive in the AFC North race.
But many aren’t convinced it’s worth the risk.
Senior NFL writer Frank Schwab voiced serious concerns in a recent taping of the Inside Coverage podcast on Yahoo Sports.
“I don’t want to see Joe Burrow come back too soon and re-injure himself, and I do worry about the Bengals,” Schwab said. “People are saying, ‘The Bengals are in this thing’ – they’re not in this thing. That defense stinks, it’s so bad. Joe Burrow doesn’t fix that. Their offensive line isn’t set up well enough to protect him the way he should be protected. It’d be a great story … but I worry he’s going to come back too quick and make it worse. I don’t know that the Bengals have the infrastructure to keep him from getting injured again.”
And Schwab isn’t the only one expressing concern, especially given how well veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has performed in Burrow’s absence.
Acquired via trade from the Cleveland Browns, Flacco has stepped in and delivered impressive results, even as the Bengals’ defense continues to falter at a historically poor rate, contributing to a string of gut-wrenching losses in recent weeks.
Flacco’s arrival has brought both stability and spark to Cincinnati’s offense. Since taking over for Jake Browning, the Bengals have averaged 32.75 points per game, suggesting the offense hasn’t missed a beat, even without Burrow under center.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Social media has been buzzing with skepticism – and a bit of sarcasm – after Monday’s news.
- How’s his tackling? We’re gonna need him on defense.
- What position on defense will he be playing?
- I’m sorry. I love Joe burrow but who cares. They’re scoring 40 the offense isn’t the problem.
- I hope he’s ready. His fill in Joe has been doing great. Defense get ready for Sunday. PLEASE
- He doesn’t play defense.
- I believe it’s the other side of the ball that needs the work.
- The offense is fine. The defense needs a miracle.
Burrow, for his part, has remained upbeat about his progress, telling reporters this stint of rehab has been smoother and simpler than ones he took for hits to his knee and wrist in preceding seasons.
“On a scale of difficulty level coming back, this one wasn’t really up there,” he told reporters in a press conference Tuesday. “I was back to moving pretty quickly and was able to get into my strength and conditioning routine pretty quick. My body is in a good spot.”
Whether the Bengals choose to activate him for that potential Thanksgiving return may depend as much on the standings as on his health. But the growing chorus of caution – from analysts and fans alike – suggests that rushing him back could do more harm than good.
Because as much as Cincinnati wants to see Burrow back, not everyone’s convinced that’s what the team, or Burrow himself, needs most right now.
The Bengals face off against the Steelers in Pittsburgh Sunday, with kickoff at 1 p.m. EST.
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