The Cincinnati Bengals will have a new starting quarterback in Week 12.
Joe Burrow's season is done, per the team. He suffered an injury to his throwing wrist in the Bengals' 34-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football. The original diagnosis was a sprained wrist, but a later MRI revealed a torn ligament, per Ian Rapaport of NFL Network.
The Bengals will now turn to 27-year-old rookie Jake Browning, who completed 8-of-14 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown in Burrow's stead on Thursday.
Joe Burrow's season is over as Bengals get worst possible update
It has been a difficult campaign for Burrow and the Bengals, who fell to 5-5 and last place in the AFC North with their loss to Baltimore. Burrow began the season operating well below his usual standard due to a lingering calf injury. Then, just as Cincinnati made headway in the divisional race, back-to-back losses have pushed them to the bottom of the pile.
Burrow finishes his rocky season with a 66.8 percent completion rate. He threw for 2,309 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 10 starts, with 88 yards and two fumbles committed on the ground. While far from his gaudy reputation as the AFC's primary Patrick Mahomes antidote, Burrow deserves credit for gutting it through multiple injuries to supply largely positive results prior to the injury.
Now, the Bengals' focus shifts toward the 2024 season. There will be a hope that Browning can keep Cincinnati within striking distance of a wild card spot, but it's unlikely — especially with the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns in the Bengals' own division. Of course, the Browns also lost their QB for the remainder of the season recently, so the AFC North is due for a tumultuous next few weeks.
Burrow will be able to foucs 100 percent of his efforts on rehabbing and getting healthy for next season. The Bengals began the campaign with Super Bowl aspirations, and that won't change in 2024. This is, hopefully, nothing more than a momentary setback for a 26-year-old with a lot of gas left in the tank.
