The Cincinnati Bengals have begun to prepare for life without Joe Burrow.
On Tuesday, the Bengals placed Burrow on injured reserve and signed veteran quarterbacks Mike White and Sean Clifford to their practice squad.
They also signed quarterback Brett Rypien off of the practice squad and onto the active roster, where he will serve as the backup to new starter Jake Browning.
The roster moves came two days after Burrow suffered a turf toe injury to his left foot that is expected to keep him out for at least three months.
Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Monday that it “looks like” Burrow will need surgery but did not disclose what the team considers to be his timeline to return.
“I feel terrible for him because he has put in all the work, so for him to have to go through this is the worst part of it,” Taylor said. “But as a football team, we’ve just got to continue to move forward.”
Burrow, who led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43) last season, came up limping after he was sacked by Arik Armstead in the second quarter of Sunday’s 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He left the game and did not return.
Burrow was later diagnosed with turf toe, which describes a sprain of the big toe’s joint and typically occurs when the toe is hyperextended.
White, 30, was a member of the Jets from 2019-22. He won his first career NFL start in 2021 over Burrow and the Bengals.
Overall, White went 2-5 as a starter with the Jets and threw eight touchdown passes against 12 interceptions. He spent 2023 with Miami and last year with Buffalo.
Clifford, meanwhile, is a former fifth-round pick who spent the past two seasons with the Green Bay Packers but has not attempted a pass in an NFL game.
They provide depth behind Browning, who went 4-3 as a starter for Cincinnati in 2023 after Burrow sustained a season-ending wrist injury. Browning threw two touchdown passes and three interceptions in relief of Burrow on Sunday, and he capped a game-winning drive with a rushing touchdown on a one-yard sneak.
“We have a ton of confidence in Jake,” Taylor said.
The Bengals (2-0) are set to face the Minnesota Vikings (1-1) in Minneapolis on Sunday. The Vikings, too, are expected to be without their starting quarterback, as J.J. McCarthy is dealing with a high ankle sprain.
