Zac Taylor says that Burrow is slated to play in Baltimore Thursday night, his first game since Week 2


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The NFL's Thanksgiving slate got even more interesting with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow now slated play Thursday night when Cincinnati visits Baltimore to face the Ravens. It will be Burrow's first game in nearly three months.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor said on Monday that he anticipates Burrow playing for the first time since he underwent surgery following a Grade 3 turf toe injury that was sustained back in Week 2. Burrow returned to practice two weeks ago in a limited capacity and was a full practice participant during the Bengals' first two practices last week.

Burrow also spoke on his status for Thursday night by posting an old image of himself wearing a LeBron James jersey on social media with the caption, "He's back."

Burrow himself said two weeks ago that playing in Baltimore would be "very" significant for him. Baltimore is where Burrow's season ended prematurely two years ago after he suffered a wrist injury that ultimately required surgery.

The top overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Burrow led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2021, his first full season as the team's starting quarterback. He led Cincinnati to within a game of the Super Bowl the following season while garnering serious MVP consideration.

Last year, Burrow won NFL Comeback Player of the Year for a second time after leading the NFL with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns.

Cincinnati (3-8) has won just one game since Burrow injured his toe during the team's win over the Jaguars. But despite his team's bleak playoff prospects, Burrow clearly feels compelled to play this season as long as he is physically able to do so, starting with Thursday night's game against the Ravens.

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