Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or Brock Purdy

Thursday, October 16, 9:05 PM

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (toe), who suffered a serious turf-toe injury back in Week 2, is on track to return from Injured Reserve in mid-December, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Burrow is a month into a three-month recovery after having surgery for a Grade 3 turf-toe injury. Burrow has been doing well in his rehab and has not had any setbacks, which means he's still in play to return at the tail end of the regular season if the Bengals still have something to play for. He has told people he has every intention of playing again this year, but he just needs Cincinnati to stay in the hunt in the meantime. The 28-year-old isn't guaranteed to be in play for the fantasy playoffs, so managers shouldn't feel obligated to hold onto him in redraft leagues. Jake Browning struggled with turnovers (eight picks in four games) after replacing Burrow, leading Cincy to trade for veteran Joe Flacco to try and keep the team's playoff hopes alive.

Saturday, November 8, 1:04 PM

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) is getting a lot closer to returning, and the team is hopeful that he can start in Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The 49ers will decide before their matchup on Sunday against the Rams if Purdy will be active as the team's No. 2 quarterback behind Mac Jones, a promising sign in his recovery. Purdy came back in Week 4 against the Jaguars, but ultimately made the turf toe injury worse and has since missed five consecutive games. The 25-year-old hasn't registered a full practice since Week 4, but it looks like he is getting close to returning as San Francisco's QB1. Jones has filled in admirably in Purdy's absence, but he will move back to being the backup quarterback once Purdy is ready to go.