Joe Burrow’s Return Brings New Hope for Bengals’ Season
Thanksgiving Day football will feature a much-anticipated return as Joe Burrow takes the field for the Cincinnati Bengals against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. After being sidelined since Week 2 with a toe injury, Burrow’s comeback ignites fresh optimism for a Bengals team that has struggled without its star quarterback. While veteran Joe Flacco did his best in relief, there’s no replacing Burrow, widely regarded as one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks when healthy. His return through dedicated rehabilitation comes at a critical juncture for Cincinnati, whose playoff hopes have dimmed during his absence but aren’t completely extinguished.
The timing of Burrow’s return is particularly significant as the Bengals face a pivotal divisional matchup on Thanksgiving. Just weeks ago, a Burrow-less Cincinnati would have been heavily disfavored against Baltimore, but his return changes the calculus entirely. Super Bowl champion Chris Canty even suggested on “Unsportsmanlike with Cohen, Canty, and Michelle” that the Bengals could still contend for the AFC North title despite their current struggles. “I think they have a chance to win the AFC North,” Canty boldly stated, noting that the Ravens lead Cincinnati by just three games in the win column. While some analysts might have preferred the Bengals shut down their franchise quarterback for the remainder of the season, Canty praised the decision to bring Burrow back, seeing it as a calculated risk with potentially significant rewards.
The math, while challenging, isn’t impossible for Cincinnati. The Ravens and Steelers currently lead the division with matching 6-5 records, while the Bengals and Browns sit at 3-8. Canty believes a 9-8 record could potentially win the division this year, meaning the Bengals would need to essentially run the table with Burrow back under center. “It is entirely possible that this team, with Joe Burrow as their quarterback, can find a way to win this game against the Baltimore Ravens, and after that, we’ll see where things go,” Canty explained. The former defensive end specifically pointed to Cincinnati’s upcoming three-game stretch as critical – winning all three would dramatically improve their chances at a remarkable late-season turnaround.
What makes this scenario particularly intriguing is the recent history of the AFC North. Last season, the Bengals finished with a 9-8 record – exactly the mark Canty suggests might win the division this year – but missed the playoffs as Baltimore claimed the division at 12-5, with Pittsburgh following at 10-7. The difference this year is the relative mediocrity at the top of the division, with no team establishing clear dominance. The Bengals still have two games remaining against the Ravens, including Thursday’s matchup, giving them direct opportunities to gain ground on the current division leader. A late-season surge with a healthy Burrow is exactly the kind of narrative that makes NFL football so compelling.
Of course, the primary concern for Cincinnati is protecting Burrow from further injury. The decision to bring him back wasn’t made lightly, and both the quarterback and team medical staff must have sufficient confidence in his recovery to risk playing him on a short week on Thanksgiving. Burrow’s health will remain under intense scrutiny, particularly behind an offensive line that has struggled at times this season. The Bengals’ star has demonstrated remarkable toughness throughout his career, but another significant injury could derail not just this season but potentially impact the team’s future as well.
As the Thanksgiving showdown approaches, Baltimore enters as a seven-point favorite at home, a spread that likely would have been larger without Burrow’s return. Yet there’s a palpable sense that holiday magic could be in the air for Cincinnati. If Burrow can shake off the rust quickly and recapture the form that has made him one of the NFL’s most dynamic passers, this game could mark the beginning of one of the most improbable playoff pushes in recent memory. While the odds remain stacked against them, Burrow’s presence alone gives the Bengals something that seemed lost just days ago – hope. And in the unpredictable landscape of the NFL, sometimes hope and elite quarterback play are all a team needs to write an unexpected chapter in its season.
