For the third time in just six NFL seasons, QB Joe Burrow‘s back on the shelf with another injury. The ugly moment came in Sunday’s Week 2 clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars, when Arik Armstead sacked him early in the second quarter. Burrow stayed on the turf long enough to get everyone’s heart racing before trainers rushed in. Now, early word points to a Grade 3 turf toe.

That’s bad enough, but here’s the thing: surgery might be on the table before he’s fully right again. The one glimmer of hope, though? His scans are being sent to foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson. And if we’re being real, that might be the best move Burrow could make. Why? The Cincinnati Bengals‘ legend, Andrew Hawkins, will be the right person to answer that.

“In 2013 (my contract year), I hurt my ankle in training camp with the Bengals,” Hawkins wrote on ‘X’ when the news broke that Burrow’s scans are being sent to Dr. Anderson. “The team doctor and trainers scheduled me [for] season-ending surgery. My agent and I went and got a second opinion from Dr. Anderson, who said surgery wasn’t necessary and I could be back by week 6. He was right. Still hope Bengals fans.”

Here’s how it all went down: On August 1, 2013, Hawkins badly sprained his ankle while laying out for a diving catch at Bengals training camp. The injury was bad enough that his ankle went straight into a cast, and early talks even learned toward a season-ending surgery. But after Dr. Anderson’s further assessment, surgery was ruled out. Hawkins still lost the first half of the season, but he came back strong, suiting up for eight games and putting up close to 200 yards.

Fast forward to now, and this time, Joe Burrow went down, reportedly with turf toe. Right after the injury struck, Burrow received an MRI. And now the images are being sent to Dr. Robert Anderson for review. The Bengals fans hope for nothing serious. But just in case, if Burrow requires surgery, it might cost the Bengals dearly.

We’re talking a three-month layoff for Joe Burrow

There’s no denying that Joe Burrow’s toe injury didn’t cost the Bengals their Week 2 game against the Jaguars. After Burrow went down, the backup quarterback, Jake Browning, had a job to do, and he sure did. Browning finished the game with 21-of-32 for 241 yards and a couple of touchdowns, leading the Bengals to a 31-27 win over Jacksonville. Now the question is: For how many weeks will Browning have to start?

For starters, Burrow walked out in a boot and on crutches. And that all but confirmed one thing—the quarterback’s going to be out for a few weeks. On top of that, the NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero added another layer to it. They reported on Sunday that Burrow could be sidelined for at least three months in case of surgery to repair his toe.

And that’s where Dr. Anderson (associate team physician of the Green Bay Packers and the co-chairman of both the NFL Musculoskeletal Committee and the Foot and Ankle Subcommittee of the NFL Injury and Safety Panel) comes in. Because if Anderson’s reports suggest that Burrow doesn’t require surgery, the 28-year-old quarterback will likely return at some point in October.

And if Burrow requires to go under the knife? Then a healthy comeback won’t be possible before December. Just like that, half the season will be gone. That said, it’s almost confirmed that Joe Burrow will miss the Week 3 game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. His possible return? That we shall see.