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CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 14: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after a touchdown in the first quarter of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
The Cincinnati Bengals have spent the last month carefully managing expectations, floating phrases like “day-to-day,” “making progress,” and “when he’s ready.” Zac Taylor repeated the same tone Wednesday, calling this simply “the next step” while avoiding any suggestion of a return date.
But Burrow taking “first-team reps” for the Bengals offense during practice is not a “next step.” It’s the step.
This is exactly why his 21-day practice window was opened. The two-time Pro Bowler is preparing to play meaningful December football. But the Bengals are no longer in the environment that made that timeline logical. They’ve dropped three straight, following a 34-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11. Their defense is hemorrhaging yards at a rapid rate. And the AFC landscape has hardened around them.
The stakes of activating Burrow mid-season no longer match the reality of where this team stands.
That’s why Adam Schefter’s comment about the franchise Bengals QB on Monday landed so heavily.
“Joe Burrow is an athlete and he’s gonna want to play. But if they’re not in the playoff hunt, should they really be bringing him back this season?”
For the first time in months, that isn’t a hypothetical.
Bengals Could Make Burrow QB1 Again Sooner Than They Intended
Burrow is signed through 2029, tied for the second-highest average annual salary in the league. But that same report also pointed at the one trait Cincinnati cannot outrun: availability.
Burrow missed six games as a rookie, and he missed seven in 2023.
He has played in only two games this season.
That doesn’t change his value. But it absolutely affects the team’s calculus.
If the Bengals activate him soon and losses continue to stack, they’ll be introducing risk into a season that is already slipping toward irrelevance. If they slow-play the decision, they risk straining what has long defined their franchise: Burrow’s relentless drive to play whenever he’s physically capable.
This is the moment when front offices earn their salaries, and where franchises decide how they balance competitiveness, risk, and the future. The Bengals have a little short of a handful of days to decide if Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots will feature Flacco for the sixth-straight time, or their star QB1.
The Next 72 Hours Will Tell the Real Story
There are no more soft landings. No Chicago Bears defense missing half its starters. No short-week trap games. The Bengals host the 9-2 Patriots on Sunday — one of the most physical defenses in football — and the tape reveals a matchup that puts a premium on quarterback protection. That is precisely the environment the Bengals have failed to control all season.
Burrow practicing fully Wednesday does not guarantee activation. It does not promise he’ll suit up for Week 12. But it strips away the illusion that his return is still months or weeks away. He’s ready enough to run the offense. He’s officially in the decision-making window.
Now Cincinnati must decide whether this season is worth the risk.
The Bengals didn’t expect to arrive at this crossroads before Thanksgiving. They certainly didn’t expect Burrow’s first full practice to collide with a 3-7 record. But here they are — with a quarterback ready to ramp up, a roster battered by attrition, and a season hanging on a knife edge.
Derek Hryn Derek Hryn is a writer for Heavy.com. He has extensive experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball, along with providing expert fantasy football analysis for DraftKings and SB Nation. His work has been featured at Sports Illustrated, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others. More about Derek Hryn
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