Massive Joe Burrow injury news has direct impact on the Broncos

This news impacts Denver's season in more ways than one
Jacksonville Jaguars v Cincinnati Bengals
Jacksonville Jaguars v Cincinnati Bengals | Kirk Irwin/GettyImages

Joe Burrow left the Bengals' victory over the Jaguars early with an apparent lower-body injury, and media reports are suggesting the worst-case scenario for the quarterback and Cincinnati fans. ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that the Bengals' star is expected to miss upwards of three months with surgery on his toe.

Burrow missing significant time isn't a new development for the Bengals, seeing as he has had a pair of season-ending surgeries already. The issue, however, rests with the fact that the team is 6-8 without their franchise quarterback on the field.

The Bengals just missed the AFC playoffs last season, finishing a game behind the Broncos for the seventh seed. After some massive extensions this spring and a reshaped defense, hope was rampant around the Bengals. No more Joe Burrow until roughly Christmas time could completely derail their season and have a major impact on the Denver Broncos.

Denver will now miss Joe Burrow in the week 4 matchup with the Bengals in Denver

When the Bengals travel to Denver in just a few weeks, it will now be with Jake Browning under center. Browning has started in place of Burrow several times before, and could be considered one of football's better backups. He started seven games in place of Burrow in 2023, completing 70% of his passes and throwing 12 touchdown passes to seven interceptions.

While Browning could still lead a solid Bengals offense and has the weapons to be successful, the dropoff from Burrow to him can't be denied. Browning is a 29-year-old backup with just seven starts to his name and saw exactly zero snaps in 2024. Considering how quickly the NFL landscape changes week in and week out, relying on his 2023 stats as a point of reference for 2025 would be foolish. Now facing a backup quarterback, Denver has no excuse not to win in week 4, and the game could serve as a breakout for the team.

Beyond Denver and Cincinnati's already important Week 4 matchup, the impact Burrow's injury has on the playoff field at large is substantial. The Bengals were expected to be squarely in the mix this season, but now will need to start a backup for the foreseeable future. On top of this, the Begnals face an absolutely brutal schedule for their next five games: at the Vikings, at the Broncos, host the Lions, at the Packers, and host the Steelers.

If the Bengals struggle over this stretch, it could knock them out of playoff contention before the holiday season. The Bengals falling out of contention would be a massive benefit for the Broncos, who are already favored to make the playoffs, and their path gets easier with one less major threat in the way.