BALTIMORE — The Cincinnati Bengals (3-8) are taking on the Baltimore Ravens (6-5) in a Thanksgiving battle tonight at M&T Bank Stadium.
This marks the third consecutive year the Bengals have faced the Ravens in a prime-time game in Baltimore. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is officially making his return to the field after a turf toe injury kept him sidelined for weeks.
Burrow had surgery on Sept. 19 and missed nine games. His return comes ahead of the initially expected schedule after he reportedly came back to practice Nov. 10 and participated in 11-on-11 drills last week.
The Bengals lost eight of the nine games Burrow missed. He has a 3-6 career record as a starter against Baltimore.
Cincinnati wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is also back in time for tonight's matchup after missing last week's game against the Patriots following a suspension from the NFL.
Chase received a one-game suspension for spitting on Pittsburgh's Jalen Ramsey during the Bengals' loss against the Steelers on Nov. 16. According to the NFL Players Association database, Chase lost over $400,000 in base salary as a result of the suspension.
He later posted an apology on social media.
One player we won't see play tonight is wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins was ruled out of the Thanksgiving game after suffering a concussion in the last five minutes against the Patriots Sunday.
Since the Bengals beat the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs three seasons ago, Baltimore has taken all four meetings between the teams. The Ravens took the last meeting 35-34 in early November 2024 in Baltimore.
Cincinnati currently sits three games behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the AFC North. They'd likely need to finish 9-8 to have a chance of making it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
