The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-27 on Sunday, moving to 2-0. However, the celebration was brief in the Queen City on Sunday, as attention quickly turned to their quarterback's health. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow left the game with a toe injury, later confirmed as turf toe. On Monday morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed the worst-case scenario, that Burrow will undergo surgery.
ESPN sources: Bengals QB Joe Burrow will need toe surgery that will sideline him a minimum of three months. pic.twitter.com/g8AiFectwX
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 15, 2025
“ESPN sources: Bengals QB Joe Burrow will need toe surgery that will sideline him for a minimum of three months,” Schefter reported.
The Bengals won their first two games by less than seven points, which are the kinds of games they did not win last year. But now, Jake Browning will be trusted with the 2-0 record and first place in the AFC North. While he led the comeback on Sunday, some gnarly interceptions should have Cincinnati fans worried.
Burrow has dealt with a lot of injuries throughout his career, starting with an ACL tear in his rookie year. That continued last year with the mysterious wrist injury that did not cost him any games, but was a massive storyline.
The timeline is brutal for the Bengals, with three months slating his return for Week 15. Before that, they face the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers in vital mid-season tilts. Browning showed he can lead the two-minute drill on Sunday, stunning the Jaguars with his game-winning touchdown. But he will need to win a lot of games to make sure they are in playoff contention when Burrow returns.
The Bengals hit the road to play the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, which could be a tough test for Browning. Brian Flores has been a great defensive coordinator in Minnesota, but their unit struggled on Sunday Night Football. Can the Bengals learn from what the Atlanta Falcons did and pull off the win to move to 3-0?