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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 matchup 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 standing 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 with my friends and we work very 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 further pressed about the decision to return to play, and was asked if his status as the team’s “franchise” player meant he should be more cautious about returning with next season in mind.
But for Burrow, his injury and rehabilitation are simply the nature of the sport.
“I’m a football player and if I get hurt I’m going to go through the rehab process and then I’ll let everyone know when I feel like I can go out and play. I don’t really know what else to say about that. I’m never going to go to someone and say, ‘Yeah, I’m healthy, but I don’t think I should go out 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. (IMAGE)
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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, it’s football. Guys are going to get hurt, they’re going to get concussions, they’re going to break bones, they’re going to tear ligaments; it’s a physical, intense game that’s part of it. And, yeah, I’ve had injuries and there’s not much I can do about it.”
Burrow suffered a toe injury during the Bengals’ Week 2 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jake Browning took over as the starter, but after three straight losses, the Bengals traded for veteran signal caller Joe Flacco.
With him under 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 straight despite a poor start to the season.
“It’s a divisional rivalry. You have respect for them. It’s intense out there. I wanted to be there to play on Thanksgiving Day. It’s something I always wanted to do, that I 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 that’s exciting for me. It’s a national stage to go out and prove to be able to play again after several weeks of not playing,” he added. Burrow.
The Ravens host the Bengals at 8:20 pm ET.
