To say Joe Burrow has been beat up in his career is an understatement.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback has an injury history that dates back to his college years at Ohio State – pre-LSU – and includes pretty significant injuries in just about every year he’s had as a pro, besides last year.
His most recent injury, a turf toe ailment he sustained in Week 2’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, is just the latest in a long line of injuries. It’s also yet another injury that can partially be blamed on the poor state of the offensive line blocking in front of him, as he suffered the turf toe while taking a sack.
In 2021, Burrow led the league with 51 sacks taken. In the ensuing postseason, he endured 19 sacks, the most ever taken by a quarterback in a single playoff run. That included seven sacks in Super Bowl 56, which the Bengals ultimately lost.
Over the years, the sacks, hits and injuries have piled up. Here’s a complete look at Burrow’s injury history:
Joe Burrow injury history: Full timeline of ailments
- Aug. 22, 2017: Burrow, a backup quarterback at Ohio State, undergoes surgery after breaking a bone in his throwing hand during practice. The surgery knocks him out of a competition with Dwayne Haskins Jr. for the QB2 spot.
- Jan. 13, 2020: Burrow, the starting quarterback for LSU, tears his rib cartilage in the first half of the 2020 CFP National Championship against Clemson. He remains in the game and wins the national title.
- Nov. 22, 2020: In Week 11 of Burrow’s rookie season with the Bengals, he takes a low hit while throwing his pass. He tears his ACL and MCL and suffers additional damage to his PCL and meniscus in his left knee.
- Dec. 5, 2021: Burrow dislocates his pinky finger on his throwing hand while taking a sack on the first series of the game. He remains in the game, throwing for 300 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
- Jan. 2, 2022: Burrow aggravates previous knee injury on one of the final plays in a game against the Chiefs. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports later that Burrow told head coach Zac Taylor he could have gone back in.
- Feb. 13, 2022: Burrow sprains his MCL while taking a sack in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. The injury requires rehab, but Burrow avoids surgery.
- July 27, 2023: Burrow strains his calf during a training camp practice and is carted off of the field. He returns in time for the regular season.
- Nov. 16, 2023: Burrow tears a ligament in his wrist in the first half of a Week 11 game against the Ravens. He misses the rest of the season.
- Sept. 14, 2025: Burrow sustains a turf toe injury in a Week 2 game against the Jaguars while taking a sack in the second quarter. The Bengals declare him out for the game, and the following day, reports emerge that Burrow needs surgery to repair the torn ligaments in his foot. He is due to miss at least three months.
Bengals QB depth chart
Cincinnati has two quarterbacks on its active roster, plus an additional signal-caller on its practice squad.
- Joe Burrow (injured)
- Jake Browning
- Brett Rypien (practice squad)
Browning has been with the Bengals since 2021, when Cincinnati signed him to its practice squad. He filled in for Burrow over the back half of the 2023 season after the starter injured his wrist. Browning led the team to a 4-3 record down the stretch with a 70.4% completion rate, 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his seven starts.
Rypien signed with the Bengals’ practice squad in August, three days after the Vikings released him. Cincinnati is Rypien’s seventh stop in an NFL career that dates back to 2019, when he signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent. He is former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien’s nephew.