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Toe surgery to boot Bengals QB Joe Burrow until mid-December

Sun Sep 14 2:38pm ET
Field Level Media

Joe Burrow is set to undergo toe surgery after sustaining an injury Sunday vs. Jacksonville, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Monday.

Burrow is expected to be out for at least three months while recovering from Grade 3 turf toe, according to multiple reports. Taylor, though, was non-committal to a timeline, saying that the team is "still working through all of the details," of his procedure and how long he could be out.

The Cincinnati quarterback limped to the locker room in the second quarter of the Bengals' 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday with a Grade 3 turf toe injury and exited the stadium on crutches with a boot on his left foot.

The Bengals (2-0) visit the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday with Jake Browning, who threw three interceptions against Jacksonville, as their QB1. The upcoming schedule takes the Bengals to Denver in Week 4 and Cincinnati faces the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers in the first three weeks of October.

Cincinnati last won its first two games of the season in 2018.

Using a three-month recovery projection, it's possible Burrow could be a limited practice participant in early December and cleared to return from injured reserve for a Dec. 14 game against the Baltimore Ravens or a visit the following week to the Miami Dolphins (Dec. 21) in Week 16.

Burrow was injured with 8:36 left in the second quarter, while pointing toward his left foot. On a second-down pass play, the pocket collapsed and Burrow was trapped underneath.

The 28-year-old Burrow sat on the turf for a minute before getting up and receiving treatment in the medical tent. After five minutes in the tent, he began to make his way to the locker room under his own power before putting an arm on each shoulder of accompanying medical staff.

Burrow was 7-of-13 passing for 76 yards and a first-quarter touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase before the injury.

Burrow has completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 19,190 yards and 142 touchdowns to 46 interceptions in 71 career games. After recovering from a season-ending injury in the 2020 season, he was named Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year in 2021 when he guided the Bengals to the Super Bowl. He received the award again last season, though the Bengals did not make the playoffs.

Browning replaced Burrow and was 21 of 32 for 241 yards, two touchdowns with the three picks. He also scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 18 seconds left to cap a 15-play, 92-yard drive.

Browning, 29, started the final seven games of the 2023 season when Burrow sustained a season-ending wrist injury. He completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine appearances that season before re-signing in free agency to stay with Cincinnati.

Taylor expressed confidence in Browning during his Monday press conference.

"We have a ton of confidence in Jake. He proved that yesterday against what everybody's going to see as a good football team. ... Excited for Jake to go out there and play. He's earned the right to be in the spotlight. Guys will ride behind him."

"I feel very confident in Jake. He has proven his caliber in this league. He can help us win football games and contend for all the things we want to contend for," Taylor aid.

Veteran backup Brett Rypien is the third quarterback for Cincinnati, currently on the practice squad.

ESPN reported Cincinnati has started reaching out to free agent quarterbacks. Among the free agents are Desmond Ridder, who was with the Bengals for part of training camp, as well as Mike White, Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Trask, and Nate Sudfeld. They also could look at a trade for a veteran quarterback -- Jameis Winston of the New York Giants and Case Keenum of the Chicago Bears are the third quarterbacks for their teams -- or cull the list of QBs on NFL practice squads.

Several practice squad quarterbacks have starting experience, including Tyler Huntley, Bailey Zappe, C.J. Beathard, Jeff Driskel, Sam Hartman and Trevor Siemian.

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Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 3

Player Notes
Evan Engram Sep 17 8:50pm CT
Evan Engram

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (back) was held out of Wednesday's practice session. Engram was dealing with a calf issue last week, but still managed to play in the Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. However, fantasy managers might not have noticed he played considering he only hauled in one catch for 12 yards during that contest. The veteran tight end has a total of four catches through the first two weeks. His decrease in usage should be more of a concern than this back injury. Fantasy managers should check back on Thursday and Friday for another update on his status. If he sits, Adam Trautman would see an increased role for the Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Engram should be rostered in most formats, but is tough to trust after two straight duds.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Aiyuk Sep 17 8:40pm CT
Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) was spotted doing some running on the side during Wednesday's practice. It sounds like Aiyuk is continuing to make progress, but is still going to be sidelined for a few weeks. He's currently on the physically unable to perform list through Week 4. There haven't been many updates on his status lately. The assumption is that Aiyuk should be ready to play around Week 5 or 6, but there should be a better timetable closer to that date. Aiyuk should be stashed in most 12-team formats as he'll likely be a focal point of the offense once he's ready to play.

From RotoBaller

Darnell Mooney Sep 17 8:40pm CT
Darnell Mooney

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice session. Mooney missed most of training camp and Week 1 due to a shoulder issue. He made his season debut last week, but was mostly quiet on the field. He hauled in two of his four targets for 20 yards in the victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The fact he was a limited participant on Wednesday could be the Falcons being cautious. Fantasy managers should check back on Thursday and Friday to see if his status changes at all ahead of the Week 3 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The veteran wideout should be rostered in most 12-team formats despite a slow start.

From RotoBaller

Bhayshul Tuten Sep 17 8:30pm CT
Bhayshul Tuten

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (shoulder) was limited during Wednesday's practice session. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried as Tuten still has plenty of time to get ready before the Week 3 matchup against the Houston Texans. Without Tank Bigsby in the picture, Tuten was able to make a big splash last week. He rushed eight times for 42 yards while adding two receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Sadly, Tuten is going to have his value limited as the backup to Travis Etienne Jr. right now. Despite that, Tuten should continue to see his role rise if he plays well. He should be rostered in most 12-team formats at the moment even as the backup.

From RotoBaller

Jordan Mason Sep 17 8:20pm CT
Jordan Mason

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason is expected to be the main focus in the running game over the next few games. Recently, head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed confidence that Mason has bellcow potential. They expect Mason to handle a significant rushing workload while Aaron Jones (hamstring) is sidelined. The Vikings believe Mason is a multi-faceted player that can do just about anything on the football field. So far this season, Mason has rushed 24 times for 98 yards over the first two games of the season. There's not much competition behind Mason in the backfield right now. He should see all the carries he can handle, which should at least offer RB2 value for their upcoming matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

From RotoBaller

Troy Franklin Sep 17 7:50pm CT
Troy Franklin

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said that second-year wide receiver Troy Franklin is "starting to develop into the player everyone knows he can become." Franklin, who was teammates with Nix at Oregon, had a breakout game in the Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, catching eight of his nine targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. The 22-year-old wideout currently leads the Broncos in targets (15), catches (12), and receiving yards (133) through the first two games in 2025. Franklin probably won't take over WR1 duties from Courtland Sutton, but a second-year breakout could very well be in the cards for him, especially because of his strong chemistry with Nix. His primary competition for weekly targets will come from Marvin Mims Jr., who is more of a big-play deep threat than one who will be consistently peppered with targets. If you need WR help early on, Franklin is definitely worth a waiver-wire pickup.

From RotoBaller

Davante Adams Sep 17 7:43pm CT
Davante Adams

Los Angeles Rams WR Davante Adams (non-injury) was given the day off for rest and did not participate in practice Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Fantasy Spin: Adams has made an immediate impact for the Rams, logging a team-high 21 targets through two games. Perhaps more importantly, both he and Puka Nacua are putting up strong numbers simultaneously, so there is reason to believe that Adams can continue to have success. At the very least, Adams is a WR3 with upside.

From TheHuddle

RJ Harvey Sep 17 7:40pm CT
RJ Harvey

Denver Broncos rookie second-round running back RJ Harvey is "an important piece of what we're doing," according to head coach Sean Payton. That may be true, and Harvey could see his role grow as the season progresses, but right now, his fantasy value is capped with J.K. Dobbins serving as the RB1 in Denver. Harvey was out-touched 15-6 by Harvey in the Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts and finished with only five carries for eight yards (1.6 yards per tote) while adding one catch for a nice 16-yard gain. In the season-opening win over the Tennessee Titans, the UCF product had six carries for 70 yards and one reception for a loss of a yard. The 24-year-old is slippery with plenty of big-play potential, but right now, he's merely an RB3/flex for fantasy managers with a low floor and ceiling. Harvey and the Broncos also have a difficult upcoming divisional tilt against the 2-0 Los Angeles Chargers on the road this Sunday.

From RotoBaller

Davante Adams Sep 17 7:33pm CT
Davante Adams

Los Angeles Rams OG Steve Avila (undisclosed), DL Braden Fiske (undisclosed), WR Davante Adams (non-injury) and OT Rob Havenstein (non-injury) did not practice Wednesday, Sept. 17. TE Colby Parkinson (shoulder) was a limited participant.

From TheHuddle

Marvin Harrison Jr. Sep 17 7:30pm CT
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray didn't exactly ease fantasy managers' concerns regarding second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. when talking to the media on Wednesday. "There's only one ball. We've been playing this game for a long time. Some days he's gonna get 10, and some days he might get 3. You never know," Murray said when asked if he felt Harrison should have more targets through two weeks. Harrison and Murray supposedly improved their chemistry in the offseason, but through two games, we have yet to see it. The 23-year-old former fourth overall pick is tied for 49th among WRs with 11 targets through two games and has caught seven of them for 98 yards and a touchdown. It might take Harrison a bit more time to reach his true potential, but fantasy managers will be hoping he'll rebound in a divisional matchup this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.

From RotoBaller

Josh Jacobs Sep 17 7:10pm CT
Josh Jacobs

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (ankle) is dealing with an ankle injury and was listed as a limited participant on the first injury report of Week 3 on Wednesday. It's probably just a bit of rest for the veteran RB early in the week, but it's something worth watching the next few days for fantasy managers. The 27-year-old has been Green Bay's workhorse back through two weeks, as expected, handling 42 carries for 150 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and two touchdowns on the ground, adding one catch for four yards. The Packers will have more than a week of rest going into a Week 3 tilt against the Cleveland Browns, so we'd expect Jacobs to return to practice later this week and play on Sunday. Jacobs should be considered a must-start RB in fantasy if he's active. If he's out or limited, both Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson would likely share backfield touches.

From RotoBaller

Kyle Juszczyk Sep 17 7:03pm CT
Kyle Juszczyk

San Francisco 49ers DE Nick Bosa (non-injury), OT Spencer Burford (knee), DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee), WR Jauan Jennings (ankle, shoulder), FB Kyle Juszczyk (concussion), RB Christian McCaffrey (calf), S Siran Neal (concussion) and OT Trent Williams (knee) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Sept. 17. QB Brock Purdy (shoulder, toe) was limited during practice, while RB Jordan James (finger) fully participated in practice.

From TheHuddle

Jayden Daniels Sep 17 7:00pm CT
Jayden Daniels

The Washington Commanders are expected to "err on the side of caution" with quarterback Jayden Daniels (knee) as he battles a knee sprain that he suffered in the Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers last Thursday night, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Daniels will not practice this week until at least Friday, and if there is any doubt at all by then, the team is expected to keep him out in Week 3 on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. In a best-case scenario, it seems like Daniels will be questionable this weekend. The Commanders had backup Marcus Mariota meet with the media on Wednesday, an early sign that they are leaning toward starting him under center against the Raiders. Fantasy managers should not plan on having Daniels available in Week 3. If he's out, Washington could lean on the ground game more with rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr., who will be making his 2025 debut after Austin Ekeler's season-ending Achilles injury in Week 2.

From RotoBaller

Christian McCaffrey Sep 17 6:53pm CT
Christian McCaffrey

San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (calf) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Fantasy Spin: McCaffrey probably will not practice much this season but is on track to play in Week 3. He has been productive in both the running and passing game over the first two weeks and is a must-start option in all fantasy leagues.

From TheHuddle

Patrick Mahomes Sep 17 6:43pm CT
Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs DE Mike Danna (quadriceps) and CB Kristian Fulton (ankle) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Sept. 17. WR Jalen Royals (knee), WR Xavier Worthy (shoulder) and OT Josh Simmons (illness) were limited during practice. WR Hollywood Brown (ankle), DE Ashton Gillotte (elbow), QB Patrick Mahomes (wrist), DE Charles Omenihu (hand), OT Jawaan Taylor (ankle, knee) and LB Drue Tranquill (knee) fully participated in practice.

From TheHuddle

Patrick Mahomes Sep 17 6:33pm CT
Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (wrist) fully participated in practice Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Fantasy Spin: Mahomes is off to a pretty quiet start to the season with 445 passing yards and two passing touchdowns but has been able to help his fantasy value by rushing for two touchdowns and having at least 55 rushing yards in each of the first two games. He may get one of his receivers back this week and can be a starting option in all fantasy leagues.

From TheHuddle

Brock Bowers Sep 17 6:30pm CT
Brock Bowers

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) injured his knee in the season-opening win over the New England Patriots and was questionable to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football in Week 2. Bowers ended up playing, handling 77 percent of the offensive snaps while catching five of his eight targets for a disappointing 38 yards in a 20-9 loss. As long as the 22-year-old former first-rounder doesn't have a setback with his knee at practice later this week, he should be ready to roll for a nice Week 3 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Washington has allowed the fourth-most half-PPR points to opposing tight ends through two weeks, so Bowers could be primed for a big day this Sunday. He is already one of the top TEs in the NFL after posting a 112-1,194-5 line on 153 targets in 17 games in his rookie year in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Zach Charbonnet Sep 17 6:20pm CT
Zach Charbonnet

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (foot) is dealing with a foot injury and picked up a DNP tag at the first practice of the week on Wednesday, according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. It's not ideal for Charbonnet to miss the first practice of the week, but it's unclear if his injury is serious enough to sideline him in the Week 3 game this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The 24-year-old is going to continue to have an elevated role in 2025 as Seattle looks to keep the oft-injured Kenneth Walker III healthy, which makes him a flex option for fantasy managers every week. Through two weeks, Charbonnet has 27 carries for 57 yards (2.1 yards per carry) and one touchdown. He hasn't had a single pass-game target. Walker would see a boost in workload this Sunday if Charb cannot play, while George Holani would be elevated to the RB2 role.

From RotoBaller

Riley Patterson Sep 17 6:20pm CT
Riley Patterson

Miami Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson will continue to fill in for Jason Sanders (hip) for a third straight week when his team visits the Bills on Thursday Night Football. Patterson is on the Dolphins' practice squad but has been promoted for each of Miami's two games this season. He has converted both of his field-goal attempts and all three of his extra-point tries so far this season. However, he's only the K28 in RotoBaller's Week 3 rankings, since the Dolphins' offense has been so off this year and is in a tough spot to get back on track against the defending division champs in Buffalo. If Patterson continues to produce, he could earn a full-time role with Miami or another team later this season, but for now, he's not an elite option for standard leagues.

From RotoBaller

Evan Engram Sep 17 6:13pm CT
Evan Engram

Denver Broncos TE Evan Engram (back), LB Dre Greenlaw (quadriceps) and LB Justin Strnad (foot) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Sept. 17. S Talanoa Hufanga (chest) was limited during practice. TE Nate Adkins (ankle), LB Nik Bonitto (wrist) and LB Alex Singleton (thumb) fully participated in practice.

From TheHuddle