The Cincinnati Bengals are once again preparing for life without their star quarterback for an extended stretch.
Joe Burrow will undergo surgery for the toe injury he sustained Sunday and will be out for a minimum of three months, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
Burrow sustained the injury after taking a sack in the second quarter of the Bengals' 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. After limping to the locker room, he did not return to the game.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor had no update on Burrow's status after the game, but multiple reports indicated the quarterback had suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury that could necessitate surgery and sideline him for months.
Backup Jake Browning replaced him and likely will take over the starting role for the foreseeable future. Browning completed 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in the game. He led Cincinnati on a game-winning 92-yard drive in the final minutes, which he capped with a 1-yard touchdown sneak to give Cincinnati the lead with 18 seconds remaining.
“Resilient group. Found a way," Taylor said in a postgame news conference. "Feels like that’s what this year is turning into already.”
A two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award winner, Burrow has suffered two season-ending injuries in the previous five years of his career. His rookie campaign in 2020 was cut short by a knee injury that included multiple torn ligaments, and a wrist injury forced him to miss seven games two years ago.
Browning stepped in for Burrow late in the 2023 season and led Cincinnati to a 4-3 record.
With Sunday's victory, the Bengals are 2-0 for the first time since 2018. But the team's next five games will bring five teams that made the playoffs last season, starting with a trip to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
"It's a rollercoaster. Every game is going to be a rollercoaster," wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase said after the game. "Every week from here on out, we've got to focus and execute. That's the only thing. Our quarterback got (knocked) down, we've got to (say), 'Next man up,' and it's on from there."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Burrow injury update: Bengals QB set to be out for months after toe surgery
Reporting by Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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