The Cincinnati Bengals are now 3-8 and all eyes turn to Thanksgiving night and whether or not quarterback Joe Burrow will return.
As of Nov. 23, following the Bengals’ 26-20 loss to the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium, the organization has yet to publicly say if Burrow will start against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 27.
Burrow is close; no one is denying that. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was asked about his plans for Burrow, and he continued to reiterate they haven’t decided yet.
“I’m not going to declare anything for Thursday yet,” Taylor said on Nov. 23. “I thought he put himself in a great position to be ready to play this weekend, and the best decision for us was to wait a couple more days.”
With Cincinnati’s record, the team would need to win all six of its remaining games and get help from other teams to even have a chance at the playoffs.
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When will Joe Burrow return for the Bengals?
Although it’s unclear when Burrow will return this year, it’s become apparent that once he’s medically cleared to return, he’s going to play.
And the Bengals head coach explained why the organization will allow it.
“Winning is important; we want to win,” Taylor said. “Joe (Burrow) gives us a great chance to win. Joe Flacco has given us every opportunity; we haven’t lost games because of Joe Flacco. He’s gone out and given us everything. He understands that. That being said, excited to watch Joe Burrow. We’ve all (enjoyed) watching Joe Burrow now for six years and seen the things he can do as well. He’s worked really hard to get himself back. He’s a football player. He wants to play football. We want to win football games. That will lead into that decision.”
Burrow said playing on Thanksgiving night would be “very” meaningful to him.
It was a major step in the right direction to get all of the reps in practice that he did and not suffer a setback. Burrow returning for a primetime holiday game would be the story of the day in the NFL − if it happens.
What happens to Joe Flacco when Joe Burrow returns?
The respect is mutual between Flacco and Taylor. It’s what will make passing the torch easier for the 40-year-old quarterback.
“As a competitor, you always want to be out there on the field. This is what I live to do, is go out on that field and play football,” Flacco said of his emotions regarding the situation bubbling around him. “But at the same time, I feel really fortunate to have found myself in this situation. As much as I would’ve loved to see us win games, I still have had a lot of fun here with these guys in the locker room.”
‘I’ve had a blast doing it’: Joe Flacco on his time as QB for the Bengals
Flacco has started six games for the Bengals since the organization traded for him on Oct. 7. He’s completed 154 of 250 passes (62%) for 1,636 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions.
In addition to giving the Bengals a pulse for over a month, he proved to the league that he’s still capable of playing at a high level as a starting quarterback. He threw for 470 yards against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 2.
And although Flacco and the Bengals wish the pairing would have resulted in more wins, the appreciation for both sides will be recognized.
“Going out, lacing them up with these guys, has been a lot of fun,” Flacco said. “I’ve felt right at home. I’ve had a blast doing it. And I don’t think I’m really looking at anything past that.
“I get how certain feelings could be involved with this, but in this case, it’s easy for me to put those aside and just look at the positives of the whole thing and be excited for another teammate trying to work his way back.”
The Bengals will be limited in practice reps for Flacco and Burrow this week with the short turnaround that comes with a Thursday night game.
Flacco also injured his index finger on his throwing hand against the Patriots, and the team will need to ensure he doesn’t have any limitations as well as continuing to monitor Burrow’s progress.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Bengals navigate decision for Joe Burrow to play again this season
Reporting by Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
