Joe Burrow practices in full: Can Bengals QB return in Week 12?

CINCINNATI — For the first time in more than two months, Joe Burrow was a full participant in coaching for the Cincinnati Bengals. The star of the team indeed He returned to training last weekBut he was a limited participant in each session. The fact that he is now fully able to take part in training means he has taken a giant step closer to a potential return.

The one thing Burrow couldn’t do last week was participate in 11-on-11 drills, but he did on Wednesday. It’s still unclear when Burrow will be able to return to action, but Bengals coach Zac Taylor added some curiosity to the situation during his press conference on Wednesday. Current Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco is dealing with a shoulder injury and Taylor gave an interesting answer when asked if Flacco would be the starter Sunday against the New England Patriots.

“We’ll keep working and see how we go through the week,” Taylor said.

Flacco was a limited participant in Wednesday’s training due to a shoulder injury, but this is nothing new. Since suffering the injury in Week 8, the Bengals have given Flacco every Wednesday off. Taylor was asked if there was any scenario in which Burrow could play against the Patriots, and again, he wasn’t ready to give a specific answer.

“Until we get through some practices, there’s no reason for me to even speculate on this,” Taylor said.

With Flacco missing training on Wednesday, it gave Boro a chance to get some reps in the first team.

“I think you can definitely get a lot of work with Joe Burrow today because Joe Flacco is not practicing because the plan has been executed [Burrow] “To 11 over 11, so it works well,” Taylor said.

Before Wednesday, Burrow had not fully participated in a Bengals practice since Sept. 12, and just two days later, He suffered a grade 3 turf toe injury In a 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Burrow was placed on injured reserve shortly after and that is where he has remained ever since. The Bengals activated their 21-day practice window on November 10 and now have until December 1 to decide whether or not to move him to the active roster. Based on the fact that he’s now fully training, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before they activate him. Burrow has missed a total of eight games so far and the Bengals have gone 1-7 in his absence.

Will Boro actually play on Sunday?

That’s the big question right now and while we don’t have a definitive answer from Taylor, the guess here is that he won’t play this week against the Patriots. If the Bengals play him on Sunday against the Patriots, that means Burrow would have to play two games in five days — the Bengals play the Ravens on Thanksgiving in Week 13 — and it’s unlikely they’ll ask him to do so. Basically, even though the door is open for him to play this week, it would be a huge surprise if he did.

The most likely target for Burrow’s return is Thanksgiving. Burrow has spoken to the media only once since his injury, back on November 10. During that interview, the Bengals QB gave a one-word answer when asked how important it was to come back against the Ravens on Thanksgiving night.

“Very much,” Burrow said.

Burrow was targeting a return for Thanksgiving and now that seems more likely. If not, it can also be postponed to week 14.

CBS Sports reporter Melanie Collins spoke with the Bengals on Sunday morning and was given two possible dates. “The Bengals told me this morning that Week 13 against the Ravens is a possibility, as is Week 14 against the Bills. But as of now, there is no set date for Joe Burrow’s return,” Collins said. During the Bengals’ 34-12 loss to the Steelers on Sunday.

Of course, even if he’s healthy enough to play, the Bengals need to figure out if it makes sense to get him back on the field. CBSSports.com NFL Writer Tyler Sullivan doesn’t think the Bengals should bring back Burrow under any circumstances this year given the fact that their season is already lost (You His full reasoning can be read here). The season will go from bad to worse if Burrow comes back injured again.

Back on November 10, Burrow was actually asked if the team’s record would factor into his decision for a potential return, and he mostly avoided the question.

“We’ll see how the next few weeks go,” Burrow said. “We’ll see how it goes. We’ll make a decision when the time comes.”

If Burrow wants to play, it’s hard to imagine the Bengals would stop him, especially if he’s completely clean and 100% healthy. Now that he’s back in training, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before he’s back on the field and don’t be surprised if he shows up on TV on Thanksgiving night.