Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has to make a call by 4 p.m. Saturday if quarterback Joe Burrow is playing Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Local 12) against the Patriots at Paycor Stadium.

After Burrow went limited in Friday’s final tune-up practice following full workouts Wednesday and Thursday, Taylor said he looked good and had done all the right things to play. But he also had no decision and marked Burrow “questionable,” for his first appearance since Sept. 14, when he suffered a turf toe injury that required surgery.

“We are still talking to doctors and everything. He’s done everything he can. Everything is moving in a great position. Now we just have to make a decision,” Taylor said.

Taylor is thinking about all the things he has to think about and they are plenty:

_The Bengals have virtually no turnaround for the Thanksgiving Night game (8:20-Cincinnat’s Channel 5) in Baltimore.

“You play a game Sunday, you play a game Thursday, you got to factor in all that stuff,” Taylor said. “He has tried to put himself in a position to be ready to go and we’ll try to make a decision later.”

_Asked if he has to protect Burrow from his almost maniacal desire to get back on the field, Taylor said, “Absolutely.”

“I have to take into account what I think is best for him. He’s coming back off an injury. He’s been out for a long time,” Taylor said. “I know he’s of the right mindset and has done everything physically, and then I have to take into account what’s the best thing for him, what’s the best thing for our team and make the soundest decision.”

_When Burrow tried to play through a strained calf early in the 2023 season, he struggled for the first month and has said maybe he came back too early.

“Every (injury) is different,” Taylor said.

_There’s also the option of activating him from injured reserve Saturday but still starting Joe Flacco. Flacco went full Friday and practiced all three days for the first time since he injured his shoulder late in the Oct. 26 Jets game.

“I think everything is on the table,” Taylor said.

Taylor indicated Burrow has had no setbacks since he started practicing last week and amped it up to team drills this week.

“I think he’s in good shape. I think he’s done all that. He’d have to better answer that than I could on how he feels. But I mean, you saw him, he was throwing today. He looks good. We just got to make decision,” Taylor said.

“There’s a lot to balance. I mean, he comes back, he’s done everything he can. He looks great. He looks healthy. You expect it to respond great. When he’s out there getting tackled, you don’t know. So every day that you can take matters with any injury.”