The Pittsburgh Steelers have caught some major breaks in the first half of the 2025 season. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow went down with a toe injury in Week 2 that required surgery and has sidelined him since mid-September, while Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson missed multiple games with a hamstring injury.
These devastating AFC North injuries helped Mike Tomlin's team to quickly climb to the top of the division as the Bengals and Ravens struggled to stay alive. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh squandered a golden opportunity to maintain a huge divisional lead, as they've lost three of their last four games and currently sit on a 5-4 record entering Week 11.
Now the latest news could have sent Tomlin into a panic... that is, if the Steelers' second game against the Bengals had come any later than this week.
One day after Pittsburgh's embarrassing 25-10 loss to the LA Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Bengals have opened up the 21-day practice window for Joe Burrow. This means that the superstar quarterback is technically eligible to return any time now. NFL insider Ari Merov added that Burrow told insider Jay Glazer that he expects to be back by Thanksgiving when the Bengals face the Ravens.
Burrow's toe surgery was originally expected to keep him sidelined until mid-December. That no longer appears to be the case. Though one of the NFL's best quarterbacks is returning to the field soon, the Steelers are expected to dodge him for the second time this season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to avoid facing Joe Burrow for the second time in 2025
Based on the optimistic timetable to return from Burrow himself, the Steelers won't have to face the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback this season. That's another fortunate break for a team that saw its two biggest threats to the AFC North title each lose their quarterbacks early in the year.
While the Steelers lost their first matchup to the Bengals against a 40-year-old Joe Flacco, there's no question Pittsburgh would rather face Flacco at Acrisure Stadium this week than Burrow, who has crushed Tomlin's defenses in the past.
But this could work out even better for the Steelers than anyone is talking about.
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With Cincinnati sitting on a 3-6 record in the second half of the 2025 season, and with remaining games against teams like the Bills and Patriots, the Bengals are hardly a threat to fight back and claim a division title. However, with Burrow expected to return as soon as Thanksgiving, Cincinnati could steal a win or two against the Ravens.
At 4-5, Baltimore is the biggest threat to Pittsburgh for the AFC North title, and with an easy schedule the rest of the way, the Bengals could be one of the only teams standing in the way to foil their plans. If that ends up happening, we may have Joe Burrow to thank.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have crumbled against some good opponents like the Seahawks and Chargers this year. But they couldn't have asked for any more breaks than the ones they've already caught this season.