The Cincinnati Bengals‘ offense became a problem after Joe Burrow went down with a Grade 3 turf toe in Week 2. Sure, Joe Flacco’s arrival has sparked a bit of hope, no denying there. Still, the Bengals are waiting on their franchise QB to get back under center and to lead the team to the playoffs.

While there’s no official timeline for Burrow’s return just yet, head coach Zac Taylor did share a promising update on his recovery. According to Taylor, Burrow’s rehab is progressing “as we hoped,” as he told reporters during Wednesday’s press conference. Earlier, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport echoed the sentiment in his report.

The analyst noted, “He is on track (and) doing well, has had no setbacks. Which means, if this continues in this direction, he should be back on the field mid-December and has told people close to him he absolutely intends to be back, just need the team to stay alive until then.”

Reports indicated that Burrow is expected to miss around three months following surgery, putting his potential return sometime in mid-December. If that timeline holds, he could be back just in time for the Bengals’ Week 15 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, giving him about four games to shake off the rust before the playoffs.

The only wrinkle, though? Cincinnati’s postseason hopes might hinge on how well Joe Flacco can steer the offense in the meantime. And to make things trickier, Flacco himself has been dealing with an injury.

Joe Burrow’s replacement went down with an injury

Joe Flacco’s arrival on the Bengals’ roster surely stabilized the team’s offense a bit. But ahead of the Week 9 clash against the Chicago Bears, it’s still unclear whether the 40-year-old quarterback will suit up or not. The crystal? An AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, per Rapoport.

After a crucial win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7, the Bengals were favorites to win their next three games with Flacco under the center. However, the journey started with a heartbreak when they dropped their home game 39-38 against the New York Jets in Week 8.

To make matters worse, Flacco had a brief injury scare of his own, leaving the game before returning for the final drive. Still, his status for the upcoming matchup against the Bears remains up in the air.

In three starts so far, Flacco has completed 64.3% of his passes, tossed seven touchdowns, and hasn’t thrown a single interception. But if he can’t suit up this week, the Bengals might have to turn back to Jake Browning once again. The real twist, though? The Bengals’ offensive coordinator, Dan Pitcher, has reportedly confirmed that both Flacco and Browning are getting ready for the Bears’ game.

“They’re both getting ready. It’s a day-to-day deal with Joe. I’m optimistic, but we’ll see how it goes this week with both,” Pitcher said. That said, the Bengals are currently 3-5 heading into Week 9. We’ll see who’ll line up under the center on Sunday.