Why Joe Burrow chose to play Ravens vs Bengals despite crushed playoff hopes

Joe Burrow looked rusty in his comeback game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday

Published on: Nov 28, 2025, 07:53:47 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Joe Burrow looked rusty in his comeback game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday. The Bengals QB was 8/17 for 65 yards at the time of writing this story. However, the 28-year-old seemed determined to make a strong statement, even though his team is likely out of the playoff race.

Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals passes the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter (Getty Images via AFP)

Burrow, who was placed on injured reserve after sustaining an injury early in the season, made his intentions pretty clear before the Ravens game.

“We’re getting paid a lot of money to play a kid’s game,” Burrow told NBC reporter Melissa Clark on the sidelines. “I love playing. I just wanna put on a show for the fans, be out there with my guys, go out and play well.”

A day before the game, the Bengals announced Burrow's participation with a slow-motion video of him. “He's back,” the team wrote on social media.

Burrow underwent surgery for turf toe on Sept. 19 after sustaining an injury vs the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. Without him, Cincinnati has struggled. Zac Taylor and co (3-8) went 1-8.

Burrow, 28, has played in 71 career games and has a 40-30-1 record. In his sixth NFL season, Burrow has completed 68.5% of his passes for 19,190 yards with 142 touchdowns and 46 interceptions.

He is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and has twice been named Comeback Player of the Year after his return from serious injuries that ended his 2020 and 2023 seasons.

Also on Wednesday, the Bengals activated safety Daijahn Anthony from injured reserve and placed cornerback Marco Wilson on IR.

Anthony, 25, was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on Aug. 26.

Wilson, 26, sustained a hamstring injury in Cincinnati's 26-20 loss to the New England Patriots this past Sunday.

He has three tackles in four games this season.

Receiver Tee Higgins (concussion) and defensive end Trey Hendrickson (hip/pelvis) missed the game against the Ravens. Also ruled out were running back Tahj Brooks (concussion) and receiver Jermaine Burton (ankle).

(With Reuters inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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