What happened to Joe Burrow? Why is Bengals QB not playing in Week 12

Joe Burrow is not playing today against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former Heisman trophy winner has been officially ruled out and will not play for his team as they try desperately to reverse their fortunes and get back into the playoff race in the AFC. What happened to the QB to cause this?

Burrow last played on Thursday Night Football in Week 11, which is when he sustained the injury. During that game, he hurt his wrist, though there are rumors that he was already injured before the game.

Nevertheless, Burrow hurt his wrist against the Baltimore Ravens and could not return to the game. He could hardly hold a football, and he was ruled out. Shortly after the game, it was disclosed that he was out for the rest of the season and thus, for Week 12 as well.

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Joe Burrow injury update

Joe Burrow is dealing with a wrist injury. It's so bad that the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is slated to have surgery on Monday. That certainly rules him out in Week 12 and for the remainder of the season for Cincinnati.

The Bengals sit at 5-5 and in last place in the AFC North. It will be a steep climb back into the postseason race without their star quarterback starting any games. The expectation for Burrow's surgery is that he will be ready to play in 2024 and have no lingering issues from the surgery once the season starts.

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Who is Bengals starting quarterback vs Steelers in Week 12?

The Bengals will turn to backup Jake Browning for their matchup with the Steelers. He will likely be their starter for the remainder of the season. The trade deadline was well past when Burrow got hurt, and the free agent options are incredibly slim.

Furthermore, the hill they must climb to get back to the playoffs is incredibly steep, and there's not really an option out there that would allow them to climb it more easily.

Joe Burrow is out for the rest of the season

Without Burrow, the outlook is bleak. No other quarterback option brightens it more than Browning does, so they will be rolling with him for the next seven weeks of the NFL season and the playoffs if they can somehow make a run.