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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will make his long-awaited return to the football field Thursday night in an AFC North game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving Day.
The Bengals sit at the bottom of the division alongside the Cleveland Browns (3-8), but the team’s current position was never a factor in Burrow’s decision to return, which came nearly a month earlier than expected.
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“I’m a soccer player. I get paid a lot of money to go play a game with my friends and we work really hard,” Burrow told reporters Tuesday. “It’s intense and there are jobs on the line, but at the end of the day it’s a game and I’ve worked hard to put myself in this position and be as healthy as possible to go out and play with these guys and that’s something I wanted to do.”
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Burrow was pressed further on the decision to return to play and asked if his status as a “franchise” player on the team meant he would have to be more cautious about returning when thinking about next season.
But for Burrow, his injury and rehabilitation are just the nature of the sport.
“I’m a football player and if I get injured, I’m going to go through a rehab process and then I’ll let everyone know when I feel like I can go out there and play. I don’t really know what else to say about that. I’ll never go to someone and say, ‘Yeah, I’m healthy, but I don’t think I should go out there and play.’ That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was unable to put weight on his ankle after being injured against the Jaguars. (IMAGINE)
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“I’m not going to live my life and play this game afraid that something is going to happen. Yes, something is going to happen – that’s football. Guys are going to get hurt, guys are going to get concussions, you’re going to break bones, tear ligaments – it’s a physical, intense game that’s part of it. And, yes, I’ve had injuries, there’s not much I can do about that.”
Burrow suffered turf toe during the Bengals’ Week 2 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jake Browning took over, but after three straight losses, the Bengals traded for veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco.
With him at center, Cincinnati is 1-5, including four straight losses.
Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals looks to pass during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium on September 14, 2025, in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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Burrow will look to prove himself on Thanksgiving night against the Ravens, who have won five in a row despite an ugly start to the season.
“It’s a division rivalry. You respect them. It’s intense there. I wanted to be there to play on Thanksgiving. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, that I’ve pushed for in the past, and the NFL gave it to us. Then, you know, the injury happened and I thought I wasn’t going to be able to play. And then as we got closer, I felt like it was a real possibility. So it’s exciting for “It’s a national stage to come out and prove again after several weeks of not playing,” Burrow added.
The Ravens host the Bengals at 8:20 p.m. ET.
