It's happening, Cincinnati Bengals fans! Joe Burrow will return to the starting lineup for the first time since Week 2 when he had to exit the game due to a toe injury.
At 3-8, skeptics are going to wonder if the Bengals playing Burrow is the right move. After all, the odds of the team making the playoffs aren't high (less than one percent, ouch) and with how poorly the defense is playing, why throw Burrow out there and risk an injury that could impact his status for next season?
That's exactly how ESPN's Louis Riddick felt about the situation when asked about it on The Dan Patrick Show. Riddick pointed to how the Bengals should be taking Burrow's long-term future and the franchise's long-term future into consideration with this decision.
"We know players need to be protected from themselves. Like the Bengals aren't going anywhere as far as 2025," Riddick said. "I'm trying to look out for his long-term future and the long-term future of the Bengals... I don't think it's served by putting him out there in a season that right now isn't going anywhere. I just wouldn't want to risk further injury."
Louis Riddick says exactly what Bengals fans are thinking about Joe Burrow's return
Riddick did point out how he's aware that Burrow is paid to do a job (which was Dan Patrick's argument to why Burrow should be out there playing) but ultimately, if the Bengals goal is to win a championship in the near future, this isn't the year they're going to do it since their margin for error is nearly non-existent at this point. One more loss and they'll finish the season with a losing record and that's not going to get them into the postseason.
If the goal is to win a Super Bowl, the Bengals' best shot at doing so is next year when Burrow has had nearly a year to rehab from his injury. For now, they should keep Burrow off the field, let Joe Flacco do whatever he can, and maybe the Bengals can end up with a better draft pick, which would help their 2026 team more than a mid first-round pick would.
At the end of the day though, the Bengals are going to do whatever they think best serves the team right now and that's playing Joe Burrow. We'll see if that decision comes back to bite them or if they have another crazy end-of-the-year run in them once again with Burrow at the helm.