Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will undergo surgery on his injured left toe and is expected to be out for three months, a person with knowledge of the situation said Monday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Bengals are not expected to make an announcement until coach Zac Taylor’s news conference later Monday.
It is Burrow’s third major injury in his six seasons since being the top overall pick in the 2020 draft and a major blow to Cincinnati, which is off to its first 2-0 start since 2018 and has postseason aspirations after missing the playoffs the past two seasons.
Burrow left the Bengals’ locker room on crutches and wearing a boot on his left foot after injuring his toe during the second quarter of Cincinnati’s 31-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Burrow was sacked by Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead for a 5-yard loss at the Bengals 35-yard line with 9:02 remaining in the first half. It was the second time Burrow had been sacked in the game.
Burrow went into the sideline medical tent. He came out and walked briefly with a limp before heading to the locker room.
“It’s tough right now. We’re going to be OK. He’s a strong guy,” wide receiver Tee Higgins said. “We look forward to seeing what the results are.”
Burrow’s injury comes at an inopportune time for the Bengals, who play at Minnesota next week to begin a stretch of five straight opponents that made the playoffs last year.
Jake Browning will be the starter in Burrow’s absence. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Browning also scored the go-ahead touchdown with 18 seconds remaining on a 1-yard leap.
“He said, ‘Good job.’ He was dealing with the injury, so it was brief,” Browning said about his postgame conversation with Burrow.
Browning has played 13 games for Cincinnati and went 4-3 as the starter two years ago when Burrow was sidelined.
“I know it wasn’t my best game, but we won, so Sundays are happy,” Browning said. “But come Monday, we’ll come in and get better.”
Burrow led the league last season with 4,918 passing yards and 43 TD passes last season. A knee injury in his rookie season in 2020 cost him six games, and a wrist injury in 2023 kept him out for the final seven games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.