Things are bad for the Minnesota Vikings right now. They just watched their young quarterback put up an absolute stinker on Sunday Night Football, in primetime, for the nation to see. Minnesota is also dealing with a list of injuries growing at an unsustainable pace.
They aren't the Cincinnati Bengals though. Their next opponent now comes to U.S. Bank Stadium with a reality that no NFL franchise wants to deal with. They must replace their starting quarterback.
Despite being 2-0, the Cincinnati Bengals are in a tough spot. After suffering a toe injury on Sunday, it was revealed that starting quarterback Joe Burrow will head for surgery and miss three months of action.
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ESPN sources: Bengals QB Joe Burrow will need toe surgery that will sideline him a minimum of three months. pic.twitter.com/g8AiFectwX
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 15, 2025
Obviously that will keep him out of next Sunday's contest against Minnesota . The turf toe injury is grade 3 in nature, which is the most significant. He could return in December for Cincinnati, and they'll need to hold serve in his absence.
Through two games this season, Burrow is 21-of-36 (58.3%) with 189 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. After missing time in 2023, he was named the Comeback Player of the Year last season .
Related: Minnesota Vikings Ravaged by Injuries Yet Again
Burrow's lone game against the Vikings came back in 2021 . He bested the Mike Zimmer-led team in Week 1 at home. The Bengals needed overtime, but emerged victorious with a 27-24 score.
The Bengals backup quarterback, Jake Browning, took over for Burrow on Sunday. He finished 21-of-32 for 241 yards , two touchdowns, and three interceptions against the Jacksonville Jaguars . Despite the lackluster outing, it was enough to get the job done and hold on for a 31-27 victory.
Browning is a former member of the Minnesota Vikings practice squad . He signed with Cincinnati in 2021 after three seasons in Minnesota. Now with 13 NFL games under his belt , the 14th (and eighth start) will come against his former employer.
This isn't Browning's first rodeo against Minnesota either. In 2023 he started in place of an injured Joe Burrow and beat Minnesota 27-24 in overtime at home. That was a Kevin O'Connell-coached team, but the Vikings were rolling with Nick Mullens in place of an injured Kirk Cousins .
Bengals QB Jake Browning yesterday during the game vs the Vikings:
"You should have never f**king cut me!"
📸: @Bengals pic.twitter.com/s0jcnyXziV— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 17, 2023
In that contest Browning was 29-of-42 for 324 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and one interception. O'Connell will need to make sure that history doesn't repeat itself, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores will be looking for a better effort as well.
Related: What We Learned About Vikings in Lullaby Loss vs Falcons
Minnesota kicks off against Cincinnati on Sunday September 21 at noon . It's their final home game before a two-week stretch across the pond in Ireland and London.
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