Zac Taylor Confirms Joe Burrow's Successful Toe Surgery, Recovery Begins

Recovery mode activated.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is injured on a play in the second quarter of the NFL Week 2 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. The Jaguars led 17-10 at halftime. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow is officially on the other side of surgery for his grade-three turf toe injury. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Cincinnati's star quarterback had the procedure on Friday morning, and now the recovery process begins.

Reports estimate he will miss at least three months, with the hope that he could return for the final three games of the season against Miami, Arizona, and Cleveland.

"Joe just had surgery. He's in recovery. Everything went well. No timeline (for a return)," Taylor told the media on Friday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport dropped the initial surgery timing on Thursday.

"Burrow is set for surgery on Friday if swelling allows, undergoing the procedure to repair his Grade 3 turf toe at Birmingham’s Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center," Rapoport tweeted. "It’s also possible it gets pushed a few days. He faces a 3-month recovery. Dr. Norman Waldrop is set to perform the procedure, the practice's foot and ankle specialist, who learned from his mentor, Dr. Robert Anderson. Waldrop has also performed high-profile procedures on Tua Tagovailoa's ankle and Derrick Henry's foot."

Now, the onus lies with Taylor, Jake Browning, and the rest of the Bengals to not waste a 2-0 start Burrow helped build and make it worth it for him to get back as quickly as possible.

It's not crazy to think Cincinnati could go 5-7 or 6-6 with Browning and leave Burrow in a position to get Cincinnati to 10 wins (and into the playoffs) if his recovery goes according to plan. Winning as betting underdogs against Minnesota on Sunday is a good place to start.

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