Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow faces three months on the sidelines after learning he will require surgery on a toe injury.
Burrow limped out of Cincinnati's Week 2 clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in the first half, and it was later reported that the Bengals feared he had suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury that would need surgery.
It was then claimed that the Bengals were seeking a second opinion on the injury. However, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Cincinnati's initial worries had been confirmed in a huge blow to the Bengals' hopes.
Cincinnati defeated the Jaguars 31-27 to move to 2-0 despite Burrow's injury, backup Jake Browning's one-yard quarterback sneak with 18 seconds to play sealing victory.
However, the Bengals' chances of contending for the Super Bowl will be greatly diminished without Burrow, and they now have a difficult decision to make over whether to stick with Browning or bring in a new quarterback who can compete for the starting role.
Regardless of which path the Bengals take, they now face an extremely daunting and unlikely road to the postseason.
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Which games will Burrow miss?
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With the three-month timeline, Burrow is likely to miss 11 games of a very tough schedule.
Burrow's earliest return date would appear to be December 14, when the Bengals host their AFC North rivals the Baltimore Ravens.
In the meantime, he would miss the following games:
* @ Minnesota Vikings
* @ Denver Broncos
* vs. Detroit Lions
* @ Green Bay Packers
* vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
* vs. New York Jets
* vs. Chicago Bears
* @ Pittsburgh Steelers
* vs. New England Patriots
* @ Baltimore Ravens
* @ Buffalo Bills
With eight of those games coming against playoff teams from last season, it seems unlikely that the Bengals will be able to survive that stretch and stay in contention without Burrow.
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Browning went 4-3 as a starter in 2023 when the Bengals played a large portion of that season without the injured Burrow.
As such, the Bengals season cannot be considered dead. However, Browning does not offer the consistency the Bengals will require to stay close to the top of the AFC without the first overall pick from 2020.
Burrow is a quarterback with the ability to elevate the Bengals to the ranks of the NFL elite. With Burrow reduced to the role of spectator, the Bengals are likely staring at a lost season.
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