FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

Confirmed: Joe Burrow Out for a Minimum of Three Months

By Shane Hallam | Updated on Mon, Sep 15 2025 12:46 PM UTC

Bengals QB Joe Burrow will require surgery on his toe, sidelining him for at least three months, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Burrow suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury and received a second opinion today from Dr. Robert Anderson.

What They're Saying

Adam Schefter of ESPN: Bengals QB Joe Burrow will need toe surgery that will sideline him a minimum of three months.

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

We outlined Burrow’s initial injury yesterday, but there was still some hope that Burrow wouldn’t need surgery. Schefter’s report relayed the bad news that the Bengals will be without Burrow for at least three months and possibly for the season.

If the team is somehow in playoff contention, Burrow could return for the last few weeks of the regular season. If not, they likely will put him on the shelf until next year.

QB Jake Browning could be a streaming option with the Bengals' weapons on the squad, though the Bengals would likely lean more toward the run sans Burrow.

But fewer TD chances and potentially worse efficiency would make it a downgrade for RB Chase Brown overall.

WR Ja'Marr Chase might be least affected considering all the schemed touches he gets. He'd remain a must-start, if more of a mid-range or low-end WR1. Tee Higgins would likely fall to WR2/3 status.

Shane Hallam, Writer

Shane has over 20 years of experience creating content and playing every fantasy football format, including redraft, dynasty, devy, C2C, IDP, CFF, and more. He is a multi-year winner of $500 dynasty leagues on the FFPC and a King's Classic Champion. Shane utilizes deep film and scheme study to enhance his fantasy performance. He led the industry in 2024 preseason Kicker Rankings and ranked second in preseason QB Rankings. He also ranked eighth in preseason IDP rankings.