Ravens May Host Joe Burrow's Return

The Baltimore Ravens got some big Joe Burrow news two months ago, with the Cincinnati Bengals' star quarterback and prospective MVP contender getting ruled out for what sounded like the majority of the season after getting diagnosed with turf toe.

The announcement, made just two weeks into the season, seemed to open the door for the Ravens to take advantage of the AFC North, having been sufficiently weakened compared to years past. They, themselves, didn't look like the best version of themselves by that point, and even after the Ravens have finally gotten all the way back to a .500 record in preparing for Week 12, their surviving a four-game losing streak indicated just how wide-open a third-straight divisional crowd looks.

But according to recent reports, Burrow may return to the field even sooner than expected. After being initially projected to miss just about the regular season's entirety, he could resume starting action as soon as the following week's matchup in Baltimore.

"The Bengals plan to give Burrow more work in practice this week than he got last week," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote. "He has said he's targeting the Thanksgiving Day game against the Ravens, which is of course next Thursday. A lot of the answer here will depend on how his toe responds to the work he's getting in practice. But from what I've been told, so far, so good. If he doesn't make it back for Thanksgiving, the Bengals would still have a couple of more days after that left on his 21-day practice window to activate him for the Week 14 game in Buffalo."

Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass in the first 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

Needing One More Joe

The Bengals are in need of any firepower they can grab onto at the moment, as they're even further behind the Ravens in the fringe-playoff hunt. Their sleepy defense has nearly doomed the squad to a 3-7 record, completely wasting their Burrow-led 2-0 start by losing seven of their last eight games.

The brittle QB was replaced by a temporary substitute in Joe Flacco, who won't get three different cracks at his familiar Ravens if Burrow's slated to return as early as he is. He put up an inspired effort in slinging the football to the best of his older abilities, but Cincinnati will need their franchise quarterback at this teetering point in their season.

Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson and Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Flacco — The Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson (8) looked on as teammate Joe Flacco (5) warmed up before their preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Aug. 20, 2018 Lamarcolts18 Sam The Baltimore RavensaTM Lamar Jackson (8) looked on as teammate Joe Flacco (5) warmed up before their preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Aug. 20, 2018 | Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal

"Burrow produces at an elite level when healthy but has also missed significant portions of three different seasons since 2020," Jeremy Fowler wrote. "So returning to play — even if the playoffs are out of reach — could help build confidence and momentum for both the player and team. Maybe the Bengals opt to save him for 2026, but I could see him playing this season."

The division race isn't over until it's over, as the questionable fourth-quarter Ravens have repeatedly reminded their fans. Lamar Jackson and co. have churned out every necessary win they've been offered across November to this point, and with two potential Burrow-led shots at the Ravens in Weeks 13 and 15, this marks a brewing storyline to keep close eyes on.

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