After Cincinnati Bengals quarterback went down back in Week 2 and it was announced he'd need surgery to fix the Grade 3 turf toe injury he suffered, there were a lot of thoughts that he'd simply go on to miss the rest of the regular season.
Yet, here we are in Week 12, and Burrow has returned to practice.
Not only that, but Zac Taylor is making it hard not to think QB1 will return
Now, we've gotten report from ESPN's Bengals beat reporter Ben Baby that Burrow not only participated fully in practice again, today, but that he took first-team reps while Joe Flacco was relegated to the backup gig.
No one thought Joe Burrow would be back for the Bengals, this soon, but the comeback is real
It was pretty hard to believe that Burrow would be back this season, let alone this soon, back when he originally received the diagnosis. But, Cincinnati has hope again.
At 3-7 on the season and having lost three in a row, there isn't much left; hope, that is. Yet, just Burrow's presence out there is going to instill a different type of belief within the team.
Whether or not he suits up against the New England Patriots in Week 12 is still up in the air, but the fact that he's taking first-team reps in practice suggests that he is going to play. Now, the Bengals could still choose to keep him out one more week just to make sure.
But, what about the mathematical conundrum of not yet being eliminated from the playoffs?
They're not -- yet.
One more loss, dropping the Bengals to 3-8, would all but seal their fate. If Burrow is able to play in Week 12, he might be coming back right in the nick of time. The Patriots are currently the AFC's no. 2 seed, overall, just behind the Denver Broncos.
It's an incredibly-daunting matchup, on one hand. But, on the other, New England has also had themselves a favorable schedule.
The biggest question with Burrow and the Bengals, going forward, is the same as last year: will the defense be able to hold up their end of the bargain?
If and when Burrow is back out there, this team is going to put up points. It's a fact. It is inevitable. But, can Cincy get the job done on the other side?