Bengals Offensive Leaders Moving Forward With Positive Outlook Amidst Joe Burrow Loss

Banding together amidst a rough few days for the offense.

Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras (64) runs onto the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Key Bengals voices are picking up the pieces and moving forward this season with everything still to play for without Joe Burrow.

Cincinnati is trying to get to 3-0 on a season for the first time since 2015, and Ted Karras isn't going to keep feeling down because Burrow is out for a lengthy time again this decade.

"I think, like most of the town, [I was down] coming off of what was pretty devastating news, but we have a job to do," Karras said to WLWT's Charlie Clifford. "And we have the guys to go up there to Minnesota. Number six is in the ball game. We're going up there with the intent to win. I took Sunday night, Monday night, and was down. Now, I'm not. Ready to go. We're always ready to go."

Karras will do all he can to keep Browning healthy as Burrow takes at least three months to recover from turf toe he suffered during a first-half sack this past Sunday.

Cincinnati is 4-3 overall in Jake Browning's starts, and he's played at an above-average level before.

"We got a ton of faith in Jake, and what he can do," Orlando Brown Jr. noted to WLWT. "I've been a part of some really big wins here with him, and I think everybody's excited today. We got so much football ahead of us."

If Burrow's recovery goes perfectly, then it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could lead Cincinnati into the playoffs down the final few weeks of the season.

He has to handle his recovery, and the Bengals have to stay afloat. Starting 2-0 is a nice silver lining in all of this, giving Zac Taylor's team some extra room to hang around .500 over the next three months and still be in a Wild Card spot if/when Burrow returns.

That path builds further, or starts to crumble this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against Minnesota.

Bengals captains voiced their belief in Jake Browning today. After a rough 48 hours, Cincinnati zeroes in on getting to 3-0:

"Like everyone else (in Cincinnati) I took Sunday night, Monday night and was down -- and now I'm not. I'm ready to go. We are always ready to go." pic.twitter.com/8vuu6kn96j

— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) September 17, 2025

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