Patriots injury updates: Could Joe Burrow end up playing against New England on Sunday?

"The bad news? New England's defense might be thrown a curveball on Sunday in Cincinnati, as Bengals franchise QB Joe Burrow might be well ahead of schedule in his projected return to the gridiron. On Wednesday's injury report, the Bengals listed Burrow as a full participant in practice, presenting a possible scenario where the franchise QB is cleared for game action for Sunday's game against New England."

"Burrow has been sidelined since Week 2 of the 2025 season after suffering a turf toe injury that required surgery. He was expected to be sidelined for three months, with NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reporting on Sunday that Burrow had "eyes on a return for either Cincinnati's Thanksgiving night game against the Baltimore Ravens or more likely the Bengals' Dec. 7 game against the Buffalo Bills.""

"But, with Cincinnati now 3-7 on the season and their playoff hopes dwindling, Burrow might be accelerating his timeline in an effort to get Cincy back on track. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was noncommittal speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon before practice about Burrow's availability. "Joe Burrow hasn't practiced 11-on-11 yet," Taylor said. "So like I said the other day, until we get through some practices there is no reason for me to even speculate on that.""

Joe Burrow was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's practice, raising the possibility of an earlier-than-expected return for Cincinnati. Burrow has been out since Week 2 after turf toe surgery and was initially expected to miss about three months. NFL Network reported Burrow targeted either Thanksgiving or the Dec. 7 game for a return. Cincinnati sits 3-7 and may be accelerating Burrow's timeline to salvage the season. Bengals coach Zac Taylor remained noncommittal, noting Burrow has not yet practiced 11-on-11 and that the team needs more practices before making availability decisions. New England practiced healthier after a mini bye and will face a Bengals squad that could be boosted by Burrow's return.

Read at Boston.com