It’s been almost a couple of weeks since Joe Burrow went down with turf toe. It’s been a week since the Cincinnati Bengals fans want to hear from the 28-year-old quarterback after he underwent surgery. Cincinnati’s heading into Week 4 to face the Denver Broncos, and yes, they’ll be without their starting quarterback for the second straight game, with more missed action likely ahead.

It’s a tough blow, and to make things even more complicated, Burrow shared a heartbreaking Instagram post just ahead of the matchup with an update on his return. “This game will break your heart. See you soon,” Burrow captioned his post on Friday, September 26, after going under the knife to repair his left toe.

Last week, the Bengals’ head coach, Zac Taylor, revealed that the 28-year-old quarterback had a successful surgery and is now recovering. While the early reports suggest that Burrow is expected to miss at least three months, Taylor, however, didn’t give an official timeline on his return.

“There’s no reason to give a timeline,” the HC said. “We don’t have a timeline. Now he’s just in recovery and we’ll go from there.”

Which naturally makes you wonder: Will Burrow even return at some point in this season? The quarterback suffered a Grade 3 turf toe in the Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars and is expected to miss the majority of the season.

The silver lining, though? Burrow wants to return, as he has started the rehab process, and the Bengals’ head coach is also optimistic about his QB’s chances of playing again this season.

“No,” Taylor bluntly said when asked if he has fully “shut the door” on Burrow’s return. Cincy has placed him on injured reserve but hasn’t ruled him out for the rest of the season. And if everything remains on track, Burrow will miss at least 12 weeks and is expected to return for the final stretch of the regular season, and hopefully, the postseason, if the Bengals manage to secure a playoff berth.

Joe Burrow to miss at least 12 weeks

In an exclusive interview on Cincinnati Bengals Talk, Dr Brandon Bowers talked about Burrow’s injury, surgery, and recovery timeline. “I think the 12 weeks that we’ve seen from the national pundits all across ESPN and other outlets, if everything goes perfect, I think 12 weeks can happen,” Bowers said. “If there’s any sort of hitches in the giddy up or snags along the way, I do think it takes a little bit longer than that.”

“I think the Bengals also have to consider as they get later into the season to a week, 16, 17, and 18, what their playoff picture position is. And is it worth it if he’s close to ready or good enough to be ready to play? Is it worth it to trot him back out there if they’re on the cusp of the playoffs? But I think 12 weeks at minimum is accurate. I do believe it may take a little bit longer than that.”

In his absence, the backup quarterback, Jake Browning, will lead the Bengals until Burrow’s return. After Burrow went down with turf toe in Week 2, Browning stepped in and led Cincy to a 31-27 win, going 21-of-32 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. But Week 3 was a different story. The QB struggled atrociously, resulting in the franchise’s worst loss ever to the Vikings.

He finished 19-of-27 for just 140 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions as Cincinnati fell 10–48. In Week 4 against the Broncos, Joe Burrow has already mentioned that this game will break hearts. But the silver line? The 28-year-old is now on the recovery path and might return by mid-December.