The Cincinnati Bengals have a monumental task on their hands. After missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, the organization has to figure out a way to make it back to the postseason. Undeniably, a large portion of those chances depend on their superstar quarterback Joe Burrow.
After a shaky start in Week 1, the Bengals were able to walk away with a victory. Behind a porous offensive line, Burrow was hounded by the Cleveland Browns’ defense. Similarly, Week 2 has continued that trend while bringing a potentially huge problem to the forefront.
What Happened to Joe Burrow?
Taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars and an excellent defensive line, Burrow was getting hounded the entire game by the Jaguars. In the second quarter, down 14-7, that came to a head when he was brutally tackled in the backfield.
Immediately, it was clear that something was wrong as the Cincy superstar was slow to get up. However, even after he tried to shake it off and resume play, he could not take more than a few steps before falling back on the ground.
Joe Burrow stayed down after a sack with trainers focusing on his ankle. He’s headed to the medical tent. pic.twitter.com/nRwKaiK1wj
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 14, 2025
Clutching his ankle, it became clear that something was amiss. For Bengals fans, the worries compounded when Jake Browning subbed into the game soon after, as Burrow limped into the blue medical tent on the sidelines.
Coming out of Week 1, they ranked 29th on PFSN’s OL Impact. Unfortunately, that problem turned out to be more of the norm than the exception against Jacksonville.
The Bengals star was later seen walking towards the locker room, where he might need to get an X-ray done. Even as he walked back to the locker room, the situation was bleak for Cincinnati.
Here is #Bengals QB Joe Burrow with no shoe on his left foot heading into the locker room with a noticeable limp pic.twitter.com/C8SbHkIebE
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) September 14, 2025
Bengals beat reporter Kelsey Conway shared a clip of the quarterback heading to the locker room, while adding, “Here is #Bengals QB Joe Burrow with no shoe on his left foot heading into the locker room with a noticeable limp.”
The process for Burrow involved X-rays as well as MRIs. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great look afterwards for Bengals fans. Joe Danneman of Fox19 reported, “Source: Joe Burrow just finished in the MRI room. Was using a one-legged scooter to get back to the locker room with his left leg propped up as to not put any weight on it.”
#UPDATE: Burrow has a left toe injury and is officially ruled out for the rest of the game after being questionable about returning earlier.
How Does Burrow’s Injury Impact Fantasy Outlook?
Burrow has had several bouts of health issues throughout his career, but he was healthy for the entire 2024 season, and it was glorious. Without Burrow, it will be difficult for both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to produce in the same week.
Backup quarterbacks tend to key in on their primary read. Chase goes from the best wide receiver in fantasy to more of a mid-WR1. Higgins would go from an every-week WR2 to a middling WR3. Neither tight end is startable with Burrow, so they are not of concern.
We could see more checkdowns directed at Chase Brown, but his touchdown upside takes a hit with Jake Browning under center. Fantasy managers can only hope that Burrow is able to return.