When Is Joe Burrow Coming Back? Injury Update and Fantasy Football Outlook (Week 3)

Is Joe Burrow out for the season? When is Joe Burrow coming back? The latest Joe Burrow injury update and fantasy football outlook heading into Week 3 of 2025.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had an incredible 2024 season, throwing for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns. But in 2025, it didn't take long for the injury bug to bite.

Burrow suffered a case of turf toe in Week 2 of the NFL season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he is expected to miss at least three months. However, it is still unclear whether or not Burrow will be able to make a return at the end of the year.

Will Burrow play again this season? Should fantasy managers stash him on their bench? Let's dive in!

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Is Joe Burrow Out for the 2025 Season?

Let's call it how it is; the fact that the injury has already required toe surgery is not a good sign. Turf toe can be extremely painful and a nuisance to recover from as a result.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told the media that he did not have a timeline for Burrow's return but that the team will get more information on the injury throughout the week. Regardless, Burrow will be out for the majority of the season, which significantly hurts both the Bengals and fantasy football managers.

It is certainly possible that Burrow will miss the entire season. His timeline is currently cloudy, but it's safe to say that his fantasy outlook from before the season began is now irrelevant.

This is very, very scary https://t.co/NUIWAhUKTq

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 14, 2025

Joe Burrow 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

Fantasy managers can stash Burrow on their bench, but must find a replacement via trade or the waiver wire as soon as possible. Even if Burrow returns at the end of the year, his movement and/or general play could be hampered, making him a risky play at the end of the fantasy football regular season or in the playoffs.

When Burrow left the game, backup quarterback Jake Browning stepped into the starting lineup and was a mixed bag. Browning threw for 241 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions.

The situation in Cincinnati is favorable for a quarterback in some regards and awful in others. In Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals have the best wide receiver duo in the NFL. However, they have also consistently fielded one of the league's worst offensive lines year after year, despite making moves to improve the unit. This is a primary contributor to Burrow's consistent injuries, as he's now suffered a serious injury in three of his six NFL campaigns.

In his NFL career, Burrow has taken a whopping 201 sacks in 77 games, including a league-high 51 in 2021. He's also been pressured 27% of the time and takes a hit on nearly one out of every five pass attempts. As a result, he's been garnering comparisons to fellow injury-prone superstar QB Andrew Luck. If Burrow is lucky (pun intended), he can avoid Luck's fate as a player who was forced to retire early due to injuries.

Joe Burrow has already been sacked 27 MORE TIMES than Andrew Luck despite playing 15 FEWER GAMES 🤯

Luck retired at 29 years old due to injuries... Burrow is 28 😳 pic.twitter.com/yHo4mwFXVr

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 16, 2025

In fantasy football, here's the situation. Burrow is droppable, but fantasy managers who have confidence in their teams should keep him on the bench as a potential starting option in the fantasy football playoffs.

He is a fine stash in leagues that have IR spots, and managers should opt to replace him in the starting lineup with players like Browning (rostered in 0% of fantasy leagues), Daniel Jones (21%), or Matthew Stafford (34%).

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