Bengals

Bengals QB Joe Burrow spoke for the first time since suffering a turf-toe injury in Week 2. Burrow recalled the moment of his injury and his reaction. 

“I knew it wasn’t great when it happened,” Burrow said, via Jay Morrison of SI. “I typically have a good feel for those when it’s going to be fine and when it’s not. Obviously, I was incredibly sad, disappointed, frustrated, angry — all the above. You let yourself feel sorry for yourself a little bit. It’s easy when a couple of days leading up to surgery and the couple weeks after when you can’t do much. And then it’s time to get back at it.”

As for Joe Flacco currently being their starting quarterback, Burrow said the veteran quarterback has been fun to be around. 

“He’s playing great,” Burrow said. “He’s putting the ball where it needs to go. He’s been accurate with it, getting the ball out. The O-line has been playing great. We’ve been running the ball really well over these last couple of weeks. That’s been exciting to see. And, obviously, our guys on the outside are making plays like they always do. He’s fun to be around. He’s quiet sometimes. I think we have that in common. He’ll throw some off-the wall stuff out there every once in a while that I like, that makes me laugh. He’s fun to be around. I’m happy that I’ve been able to have this experience and watch him do his thing and see how he operates.”

Burrow finished the 2023 season on injured reserve after suffering a torn ligament in his wrist. He feels that his current issue is different than the one two years ago, given he still has a chance to return. 

“I haven’t really been in this spot where I have been injured and still had a chance to play in the same year,” Burrow said. “I’ve been juggling the injury mindset where you kind of take a deep breath, then get back to it. Then juggling that with the idea I could potentially still play this year, and we could still be in it and all of those things. There’s been a lot going on in my mind with those things. It’s a difficult thing to juggle. Now that we are getting closer and closer, it’s more of a season mindset.”

“I think Pittsburgh’s 5-4 at this point. We play them this week. Everything is still there in front of us. It’s very rare that our division looks like this, but it does this year and so, I think we’ll be at least in it until the end.”

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Bengals could franchise DE Trey Hendrickson in 2026, but he expects it to cost $36 million, which would be massive for just one year. One option would be for Cincinnati to tag and trade Hendrickson, per Fowler. 

Browns

The Browns lost to the Jets in Week 10 and fell to 1-4 in the five games started by third-round QB Dillon Gabriel. Cleveland HC Kevin Stefanski isn’t willing to speculate when they might turn it over to fifth-round QB Shedeur Sanders. 

“I don’t think it’s fair to speculate,” Stefanski said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “We’re committed to getting better as an offense. Dillon is certainly committed to improving every which way he can. All the while, all of our players, our young players, are developing, and working so hard behind the scenes to make sure that they’re getting better on a daily basis.”

• Stefanski was asked if it was a team goal to have QB Deshaun Watson return this season: “I don’t have an update there.” (Zac Jackson)

Steelers 

Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers in Week 10’s loss to the Chargers, finishing with just 161 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Pittsburgh HC Mike Tomlin said he doesn’t have any reservations about Rodgers’ ability to be their starting quarterback. 

“Sunday night was what it was,” Tomlin said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “But I have no long-term reservations about his ability to play the position and play the position at a high level for us.”

Rodgers admitted that he missed some chances in Sunday’s game. 

“A lot of stuff wasn’t working,” Rodgers said. “We were bad on third down. I was just a little bit off. … I missed, obviously, some throws, for sure. And then we weren’t getting guys open and just put it all together times the guys were open. I missed some throws I usually make.”

Although RB Jaylen Warren was productive by averaging five yards per carry for 70 yards, Tomlin points out that going 2/11 on third downs was a big part of being unable to get him more action. 

“We win more third downs, we’ll get Jaylen more touches,” Tomlin said. “It’s as simple as that. Jaylen was having the trajectory of a good day in L.A., but we didn’t convert enough third downs for you to really, really feel it.”

• Tomlin believes the safety tandem of Jalen Ramsey and Kyle Dugger gives them stability in the back end with their ability to prevent big plays. (Brooke Pryor)