Joe Burrow speaks at press conference after returning to practice
Joe Burrow speaks at press conference after returning to practice on Monday November 10, 2025.
A potential power struggle is brewing between Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals over his return from a toe injury.Burrow is determined to play this season, even if the team is out of playoff contention.The Bengals’ front office may be hesitant to risk their star quarterback if the season is lost.Despite a high-scoring offense, the team is struggling with the NFL’s worst defense and a 3-6 record.
We’ll see who’s really in charge of the Cincinnati Bengals by Thanksgiving.
Joe Burrow is hellbent on returning from injury for the game in Baltimore that night. Question is, will Bengals coach Zac Taylor and the front office let the superstar quarterback return if the floundering team is essentially out of playoff contention by then?
A power struggle between Burrow and the club’s decision makers could be forthcoming after Joey Franchise returned to practice on Monday for the first time since suffering the turf-toe injury nearly two months ago. That seemed clear by Burrow’s coy tone when asked if he’ll still play this season even if the Bengals are out of it.
“We’ll see,” Burrow said.
Translation: Burrow believes he is playing once his toe feels good enough to return to game action, regardless of the Bengals’ record.
This is a potentially delicate spot for a franchise facing the likelihood of missing the playoffs for the third straight season and teetering on entering another dark period in its history. The Bengals are 3-6 heading into a five-game stretch against playoff contenders, starting Sunday in Pittsburgh. They have the absolute worst defense in the NFL.
They still have a Super Bowl-caliber offense, with Joe Flacco playing like Joe Burrow since the Bengals traded for the veteran early last month. In other words, the Bengals would almost certainly be 3-6 even if Burrow hadn’t gotten hurt.
The Bengals’ decision makers don’t want to risk Burrow suffering another major injury if they end up in play-out-the-string mode, which some of us believe they’re already in. Why not let Flacco finish out the season and make extra sure Burrow is fully ready to return in 2026?
Yet the Bengals also don’t want to signal that they’re throwing in the towel on the season if Burrow is ready to play and they’re not mathematically eliminated from the postseason. The AFC North is weak, though Baltimore has won three straight and looks to be back on track as a Super Bowl contender since quarterback Lamar Jackson returned from injury.
And the Bengals certainly don’t want to risk ticking off their most important player in club history.
In his sixth season, Burrow has had three surgery-requiring injuries, which were ultimately caused by poor offensive line play. He’s also had an appendectomy and a calf injury. He has said the window to win a Super Bowl is his entire career.
But Burrow has questioned his football mortality amid the injuries. He will be 29 years old next month. He’s seen the Bengals waste his MVP-level play, because of the front office’s inability to put a competent defense on the field.
That defense needs a total rebuild, something that can’t be done in one offseason, especially with how poorly the Bengals draft and are unwilling to spend money on top defensive free agents. The window appears to be closing.
All these things undoubtedly are weighing on Burrow, even if he toes the company line to the media. He wants to play. He wants to help his teammates. He wants to win. How do you keep a fierce competitor off the field if he says he’s ready to play?
Tough spot for Taylor to be in, but Bengals leadership must tell Burrow it’s not in his or the franchise’s long-term best interest for him to return this season.
Burrow knows he has the upper hand in the decision for him to return this season. His internal influence has gotten stronger since the Super Bowl run. He’s impacted ownership unlike any other player in team history, influencing how owner Mike Brown spends money.
The front office showed its willingness to do what Burrow wants last offseason by signing wide receiver Tee Higgins to a four-year, $115 million contract. The Bengals had no business spending that kind of money on a No. 2 receiver, given all the needs on defense. But Burrow wanted Higgins back.
You have to wonder how long Burrow is going to remain patient as the Bengals’ defense continues to hold the team back. Fans are wondering if Burrow is headed the way of Carson Palmer and will eventually demand a trade if things don’t get better. Is the front office concerned about that, too?
We’ll see.
Contact columnist Jason Williams at jwilliams@enquirer.com