Latest Joe Burrow injury update offers more optimism for Bengals QB's return timeline
The Cincinnati Bengals are trying to ride out the storm with Joe Burrow on the shelf due to injury and put themselves in position to at least be in the postseason hunt by the time he gets back.
Things were not going good on that front with Jake Browning under center, but the trade for Joe Flacco has proven to be a godsend thus far and now the Bengals have some hope they can accomplish the aforementioned task.
However, the entire season still rides on Burrow's toe, which is expected to sideline him until mid-December, which would place his return around Week 15 or 16.
When it comes to that timeline, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that Burrow's rehab is going well and him coming back in mid-December is very much in play.
Schultz adds that if things continue to go well in terms of the Bengals winning games, they could be buyers at the trade deadline. He also says star EDGE Trey Hendrickson is not available.
"If they beat the Jets and they go to 4-4, with the way the AFC North is shaping up, the way that Joe Burrow is rehabbing, which from everything I've been told is going excellent, meaning he could be back mid-December, it would be very sensible for Cincinnati to add another player at the deadline," Schultz said.
"A lot of teams have called, they tried, but Cincinnati right now has no intention on trading their star pass-rusher," Schultz concluded.
Schultz's report tracks with a recent one from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who reported last Thursday that Burrow is on track for that mid-December timeline.
"He is on track (and) doing well, has had no setbacks" Rapoport said of the Bengals signal-caller. "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."
This is all obviously great news, as it wasn't clear if Burrow would be back at all this season, let alone for the end of the regular season.
Now, the Bengals have to stay afloat for about another eight or nine weeks.
The Bengals have a layup in Week 8 against the lowly New York Jets, but things get tough after that, with the Bengals closing out their schedule against possible playoff teams like Chicago, Pittsburgh, New England and Buffalo.
Cincinnati also has two matchups against the down-and-out Ravens, who figure to have Lamar Jackson back for both of them. Arizona and Cleveland remain the easiest matchups left on the Bengals' schedule outside of the Jets.
Not an easy slate, but certainly doable if Flacco can keep playing at the level he did in Week 7.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Reveals Feelings on A.J. Brown’s Social Media Posts
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Jalen Hurts #1 and A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are heading into Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season with a record of 5-2. Jalen Hurts and company have had their fair share of ups and downs during their title defense, but seem to be on the right track following the win over the Minnesota Vikings after dropping two straight.
However, everything isn’t perfect in Philadelphia, as the team seems to have a glaring problem when it comes to star wide receiver A.J. Brown, who continues to express publicly that he’s not happy with his role with the Eagles.
Brown’s discontent dates back to last season and has worsened during the 2025 campaign, as he has become an increasingly off-the-field issue for the Eagles because he believes he’s not being used to the best of his ability in the passing game.
Ironically enough, Brown is coming off his best game of the season, catching four passes for 121 receiving yards and two touchdowns, but he still appears to be unhappy in Philadelphia.
Jalen Hurts Shares Revealing Thoughts on A.J. Brown
GettyJalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles.
After the strong performance against the Vikings, which almost certainly propelled the team to its fifth win of the 2025 season, Brown took to his Instagram account with yet another cryptic message, conveying a fairly obvious sentiment about how he feels.
“Using me, but not using me,” Brown posted on his Instagram account.
With the Eagles being title contenders once again with only two losses to their credit after seven games, the last thing head coach Nick Sirianni and company want is discord in the locker room, which can bleed over to other star players on offense like Hurts or superstar running back Saquon Barkley.
However, it doesn’t seem like Brown’s discontent with his role in Philadelphia is stopping anytime soon, with Hurts having to field questions about his star wide receiver’s social media posts.
“I just keep my focus singularly on the collective,” Hurts said of Brown’s social media post during media availability.
As the leader of a team coming off a Super Bowl title and maintaining the status as a heavyweight in the NFC, Hurts is taking the right approach here, as he doesn’t want to escalate things further with Brown.
Despite Hurts’ reluctance to engage in Brown’s antics, the question has to be asked whether the team will seriously consider trading the star wideout before the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline.
Eagles Trading A.J. Brown Before the NFL Trade Deadline?
GettyA.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles.
At this point during the 2025 NFL season, A.J. Brown seems like an obvious distraction for the Philadelphia Eagles, as he can’t help himself and constantly wants the fans to know that he doesn’t feel appreciated by the team because of his role.
Even though Brown’s discontent with the Eagles seems like a weekly storyline in Philadelphia, the Eagles seem adamant about keeping him around beyond the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 4.
“We aren’t moving him now,” Diana Russini of The Athletic said of the team’s stance on Brown ahead of the deadline.
Although the Eagles seem intent on keeping Brown in Philadelphia, things can change quickly in the NFL if an intriguing trade call comes in over the next week or so. For now, Brown is staying put, but crazier things have happened in this league, as anything can go down before the buzzer sounds on the NFL trade deadline.
