Nine weeks after suffering a turf toe injury that completely derailed his season, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow returned to practice on Monday. While Burrow won’t be suiting up this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he is making steps to reportedly return for the Bengals’ Thanksgiving matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
NFL Insider Jordan Schultz provided the latest on Burrow’s timeline, even revealing why the organization really decided to hold onto All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson at the Trade Deadline.
“Joe Burrow has officially returned to practice with the Bengals opening his 21 day window to return from IR and his turf toe injury,” Schultz said. “Joe is targeting a Thanksgiving Day comeback game to go up against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. Now listen, this is surprising. This is incredibly early. Not only because of the caliber of injury, but just the timeline we all thought, which was basically mid-December.”
“So Burrow is way ahead of schedule and with that in mind, it gives us a real look under the hood as to why the Bengals were so hesitant to trade Trey Hendrickson, knowing full well that he’s probably on his way out after this season when he’s a free agent. If you’re the Bengals in the very rugged, but very winnable AFC North, and you get Burrow back by Thanksgiving or right around that day, you’ll absolutely have an opportunity to make a playoff push.”
Burrow, who is in the midst of his sixth NFL season, suffered the turf toe injury in week two’s 31-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Cincinnati. The former No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft is coming off a phenomenal 2024 campaign, in which he passed for 4,198 yards, 43 touchdowns, and was named Comeback Player of the Year for the second time. Prior to his injury this year, Burrow passed for 189 yards and two touchdowns in six quarters of play.
Due to Burrow’s absence, the Bengals initially turned to back-up quarterback Jake Browning at the position. With Browning as its starter, Cincinnati dropped four consecutive games to drop to 2-4 on the season. They then traded for former Super Bowl Champion Joe Flacco to take over the position, which quickly turned into a 33-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football.
Although the Bengals would score 39 points and 47 points in their next two games with Flacco at the helm, both games were lost due to poor defense. It appears now that Flacco will lead the organization into its upcoming games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots before Burrow returns for the aforementioned Thanksgiving game.
“We’ve got to be better, plain and simple. There’s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn’t acceptable.”
— Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres Forward
Buffalo Sabres fans, brace yourselves: change is coming. After yet another brutal defeat — a 5-2 loss to Utah followed by a 6-2 drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche — it’s clear that this team is nowhere near the contender they were supposed to be this season. And for fans who’ve waited 14 years for a playoff spot, the latest string of losses is a hard pill to swallow. With Buffalo’s record now at a dismal
Sabres in Crisis Mode: A Season on the Brink
The loss to the Avalanche capped off a disastrous five-game losing streak, with
The truth is, the Sabres have been in this situation for far too long. The fans are fed up, and even the players are starting to admit what’s been painfully obvious:
The End of the Line for Adams and Ruff?
At this point, there is no denying that accountability must fall on both
As Tuch stated, “There’s no excuse for where we are right now.” The Sabres have been left behind in a rapidly advancing NHL, and with another playoff-less season on the horizon, it’s time for ownership to act.
The Roster Shake-Up: Who’s Safe and Who’s Not?
But it’s not just the front office and coaching staff that needs to change. With this current Sabres team showing no signs of getting it together, nearly
The Sabres need to shed their past — and that means moving out players who aren’t contributing to the rebuild. It’s a painful reality, but every player needs to be held accountable
for this team’s continued failure. It’s no longer about potential or promises — it’s about delivering results, and if you’re not part of the solution, you’ll be part of the problem.
Buffalo’s Road to Redemption: How to Fix the Sabres?
So, what now for Buffalo? The road to redemption starts with tough decisions. Kevyn Adams will need to make bold moves to reshape the roster, bringing in fresh talent to bolster the lineup. The Sabres’ defense needs a complete overhaul, and the goaltending situation is looking more desperate by the day. The team can no longer afford to let mediocrity slip by — it’s time to build a
This won’t be an easy fix, but with the right moves, Buffalo could finally start to dig itself out of this hole. The fans deserve a competitive team, and the Sabres owe it to themselves to deliver.
Can the Sabres Turn It Around?
There’s no sugar-coating it — the Sabres’ current path is not sustainable. Another year of misery for Buffalo fans will simply not do. As the Sabres face the harsh reality of their worst season in recent memory, one thing is clear:
The time for change is now — and for the first time in years, it feels like the Sabres have no choice but to start fresh.