Should I drop Joe Burrow in Fantasy Football? Fantasy projection for Bengals QB

Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns - NFL 2025 - Source: Getty
Should I drop Joe Burrow in Fantasy Football? Fantasy projection for Bengals QB - Source: Getty

Joe Burrow managed to buck the trend of losing in September, but it cost the quarterback everything for the next few months. In previous years, it was clear that the Cincinnati Bengals were doing everything they could to keep him healthy at the risk of ruining September.

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Now, unless backup quarterback Jake Browning proves he can keep the team afloat, the franchise will receive a ruined season instead. Are fantasy managers also at risk of a similar fate? Here's how you should manage the Joe Burrow injury situation.

Should I drop Joe Burrow for Week 3 Fantasy Football?

Joe Burrow at Jaguars at Bengals - Source: Getty
Joe Burrow at Jaguars at Bengals - Source: Getty

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It goes without saying that arrangements need to be made for Week 3 and beyond to replace Joe Burrow. However, unless your IR slot(s) are already filled, moving Burrow to the IR slot makes sense with a chance to return.

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However, if your IR slot(s) are filled, dropping him makes sense to make way for Jake Browning or another quarterback newly made viable, like Carson Wentz.

The Cincinnati Bengals face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, so you can take your pick of quarterback. Picking up Browning offers the chance at having a clear path for 2025 as well, as once Burrow is healthy, you can bench or drop Browning.

Joe Burrow fantasy outlook for rest of 2025 season

It is expected to be, in a word, dismal. Burrow could miss the rest of the season, or he could return in December. The Bengals have already moved to add quarterbacks to the roster, per Adam Schefter in a Sept. 16 report on X. However, newly signed quarterbacks Mike White and Sean Clifford are likely to back up Browning and potentially Brett Rypien to fortify the room behind them.

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For all intents and purposes, it will be up to Browning to get the Bengals within a few wins of the playoffs, leaving Burrow with the need for another miracle late-season run eerily similar to 2024.

If you can keep him on your IR for the duration of the season at little to no cost, it makes sense to keep him around. However, if there's another player with a much sooner return table who is a weekly starter when healthy, don't sweat moving on from Burrow.

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Aaron Rodgers was famously placed on IR due to injury in a similar situation in 2017, with the Packers leaning on a backup for most of the season, with the hope of getting saved by the quarterback. Rodgers returned for one game late in the season needing perfection, according to Pro Football Reference.

He threw for three touchdowns and three interceptions in the Week 15 last-gasp game before getting placed back on IR. Put simply, it is worth taking a shot at trying to keep him on the IR, especially if you take Jake Browning, but it isn't worth waiting on a miracle if something more immediate appears.

Bengals Nation! Check out the latest Cincinnati Bengals Schedule and dive into the Bengals Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Ian Van Roy
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