CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow went into more details about the piece of equipment that has accelerated his return to the field and possibly saved the team’s season.

Burrow is wearing a carbon fiber plate and a custom orthotic.

Is it helpful?

Of course.

Is it comfortable?

“No,” Burrow. “It was certainly a process to figure out what worked best for me and what was most comfortable and, at the same time, safe. But we worked through that, and a lot of different people were involved, and we got the right stuff.”

As much as he’d like to ditch it, Burrow conceded that might not happen. Certainly not for the remainder of 2025.

Asked how long he expects to wear it, Burrow said, “For sure the rest of this year, and probably going forward. But we’ll see.”

The discomfort didn’t affect his play Thursday night as he shook off the rust accumulated during a 10-week absence and threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-14 victory against the Baltimore Ravens.

The carbon fiber plate keeps Burrow’s cleat from bending, which is essentially in preventing a reaggravation of the surgically repaired ligament.

“My toe can’t go backwards right now,” he said. “Still a little early for that. So it just keeps it firm and not bending it back.”

It’s not the plate that is new.

In order to make room for the plate, Burrow is wearing new cleats.

“These are the ones that I feel like give me enough space and stability to do what I need to do,” he said.

In addition to moving well in the pocket and making a number of impressive throws after breaking contain, Burrow scrambled three times for 8 yards Thursday night.

Burrow took the left cleat off and replaced it with a sneaker on the sideline between series.

It wasn’t something he initially planned to do but rather a routine he stumbled into during practice while working his way back.

“I’d take it off throughout practice every now and then, just to let it breathe and let it relax a little bit,” he said. “So I figured I would keep it the same.”

The Bengals practiced outside Wednesday in preparation for Sunday’s game at Buffalo, where the temperature is forecast to be in the upper 20s.

Burrow said cold weather doesn’t have any affect on the carbon fiber insert.

And the insert doesn’t have any effect on his mechanics.

“I thought I did some good things,” Burrow said of his performance Thursday night. “I think second half, I was pretty lights out. Really, last half of the first half, too. First couple drives I missed some that I normally hit, but when your O-line protects like that, you get back into the groove pretty quickly.”

The Ravens only sacked Burrow once, and that came on an under-center, play-action call in which the Ravens brought cornerback Marlon Humphrey on a blitz.

Baltimore ranks 29th in sacks this year with just 19.

The Bills are tied for 18th with 27, but they’ve had just two in the last four games.

And the Cincinnati offensive line has allowed just one sack in each of the last three games.

The offensive line may not be able to keep Burrow comfortable with a plate in his cleat, but it will try to keep him clean in the pocket as the Bengals try to grow their slim playoff chances.

“We’re keeping our foot on the gas,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said when asked about the progress in protection. “There’s zero satisfaction. There’s only acknowledgement of growth and understanding that it has to continue.”

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