Which AFC teams benefit the most from Joe Burrow’s toe injury?

The Cincinnati Bengals earned their second win of the season when they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars by a final score of 31-27, but the win came at a momentous cost. A key player went down for Cincinnati with an injury, and the Bengals’ season outlook just got a whole lot bleaker.

Star signal-caller Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury in the first half of Cincinnati’s win, and he will be undergoing surgery to treat the injury. The injury will also sideline him for three months at a minimum.

With Burrow slated to miss at least a large chunk of the 2025 campaign now, let’s gauge which fellow AFC teams will go on to benefit the most from the quarterback’s unfortunate injury.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh has gotten off to an iffy start to the new season despite all of the notable moves it made during the offseason. The Steelers just barely scraped by with a two-point victory over the New York Jets in Week 1, and the team lost to the Seattle Seahawks by 14 on Sept. 14.

Steelers fans should be feeling very optimistic about the team’s chances of going on to clinch the AFC North division now that Burrow is down for the count, however.

Assuming the Bengals are out of the race for the division now, the team’s competition for the division title is the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, and those teams are a combined 1-3 so far this season. The Ravens kicked off the new season by blowing a large lead in embarrassing fashion in their Week 1 game against the Buffalo Bills.

Not only that, but folks should expect cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to look more comfortable as the season goes on and they find their footing with their new team. Smith, in particular, has left a lot to be desired with his play so far as a Steeler.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have gotten off to a 0-2 start to the season for the first time since the year 2014, and they’re on the heels of losing a Super Bowl rematch to the Philadelphia Eagles. At this juncture, it may look as if Kansas City could be in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time ever with quarterback Patrick Mahomes on the team.

But Burrow’s injury could prove to be just what the Chiefs need to be able to rally back from a poor start to the season and continue their playoff streak. All of a sudden, Kansas City’s odds to make the playoffs look a lot less daunting. The Bengals are probably now one less team the Chiefs have to worry about in the AFC playoff picture.

Moreover, the Chiefs have some winnable games coming up on their schedule, and people should anticipate Kansas City to get back on track in the coming weeks. After kicking off its season against two teams that have yet to lose, four of the team’s next five opponents have lost at least one game already.

With all of the success that the Chiefs have experienced in recent years, it’s far too early in the season to count them out, and history suggests that the team can still make the playoffs once again, especially following the Burrow news.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos were just one bad fourth quarter against the red-hot Indianapolis Colts on Sunday away from having a 2-0 record right now, and a win over the Bengals in a looming showdown between the two teams could prove to be a major boost to Denver’s playoff chances.

The Bengals and Broncos are scheduled to do battle on Sept. 29, and Denver will look to capitalize on playing against a Cincinnati team that will still be reeling from the loss of Burrow due to his injury. With Denver having two other upcoming contests against the Los Angeles Chargers and Eagles on Sept. 21 and Oct. 5, it’s possible that the Broncos will have no choice but to win that game so they don’t fall out of the playoff race early on.

Of the three teams mentioned on this list, the Broncos might be the biggest long shot to make the playoffs, but maybe all three teams will qualify now that the Bengals don’t project to contend for a playoff spot.