The Cincinnati Bengals faced their worst-case scenario in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars when franchise quarterback Joe Burrow went down following a sack, clearly in pain and unable to get back to his feet.
Burrow ultimately left the game with the help of trainers and did not return, later being diagnosed with a turf toe injury—the most severe grade of that type—requiring a minimum recovery time of roughly three months.
Last Friday, Burrow underwent surgery to repair the torn ligaments in his toe and has since began his rehab process. In the team’s first full week without him, the Bengals fell 48-10 to the Minnesota Vikings with backup Jake Browning leading the offense in his absence.
The former LSU star was not in attendance for the game and had not spoken to the media since the injury. On Friday, however, he broke his silence, sharing his first public message via Instagram
“This game will break your heart,” Burrow posted. “See you soon.”
More NFL: NFL Decision Looms After Surprising Move from Patriots Owner Robert Kraft
More NFL: Aaron Rodgers Takes Issue With Steelers’ International Travel Schedule
Burrow has been one of the NFL’s top players since entering the league in 2020 as the No. 1 overall pick following a national championship season at LSU. However, his NFL career has also been marked by a series of injuries, some of them random and unfortunate.
He suffered a season-ending knee injury during his rookie season but came back to win Comeback Player of the Year the following season, leading the Bengals to the Super Bowl and securing the organization’s first playoff win in over 30 years.
Burrow has also dealt with a preseason calf strain, an appendectomy, a season-ending wrist injury in 2023, and now is expected to miss the majority of the 2025 season due to a severe turf toe injury.
More NFL: Packers QB Jordan Love Gets Rough News Before Facing Cowboys
The Bengals currently sit at 2-1 as they prepare for a Monday night road game against the Denver Broncos with Browning making his second start of the year.
If Burrow returns this season, it would likely be in mid- to late December and would probably only happen if the Bengals are still mathematically in playoff contention — a challenging task given the circumstances.