The Cincinnati Bengals will have to embark on the remainder of their 2023 season without Joe Burrow. The superstar quarterback's wrist injury will sideline him indefinitely as Jake Browning takes the reins for the rest of the season.

Burrow's recovery process will begin very soon. He is set to have surgery on his wrist tomorrow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport writes that Burrow is “set for wrist surgery on Monday, sources say, with the expectation that Burrow will make a full recovery for the 2024 season. Head coach Zac Taylor clarified to reporters on Nov. 20 that Burrow's 2023 season is over, regardless of how far the Bengals potentially advance in the playoffs if they were to qualify.”

As speculation swirls that suggests the Bengals should have included Burrow on the injury report prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens, Rapoport reports that the injury was not a serious ailment that caused the star quarterback to receive extra treatment or skip out on any practice reps. The NFL had no comment for the NFL Network insider's story about its investigation into Cincinnati but Rapoport indicates that the injury was not believed to be severe until a non-contact play worsened it.

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With a record of 5-5 and in a division with three rivals with winning records, the Bengals already faced a tough path to the playoffs with Burrow. Without the superstar under center, a playoff berth seems far out of reach, especially with matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs coming later on and wide receiver Tee Higgins also dealing with an injury. Fortunately, the Bengals have all of their draft picks moving forward, giving them the chance to reload with high-end talent for another Super Bowl run.

This is the second major injury of Joe Burrow's four-year career after tearing his ACL and MCL in his rookie season. The Bengals have tried to increase the protection around him but the rate at which he takes sacks is still around average at best. While sack rates are indicative of both quarterbacks and their offensive lines, it's a sign that Cincinnati has to get better at putting good blockers around the 26-year-old quarterback.