Orlando Brown Jr., called him a wolverine. Jordan Battle went with icon. Chase Brown talked about his aura, and Zac Taylor talked up his impact.

What could it only mean, Monday, but that Joe Lee Burrow was back on the field?

Can it be 57 days since he left the Paycor Stadium field with turf toe?

Believe it. Burrow, usually, would rather go to a root canal than a press conference. But on Monday, he seemed to bounce straight through the snow from the IEL Indoor Facility.

"Played some football today," said Burrow as he took his seat and offered, "Felt good. It was good to be out there with the guys. Toss it around a little bit."

That's about all he did.

The Bengals are saying this is a limited return to practice, so he threw to receivers only on air and didn't work in team drills. But for Burrow, who lives for the challenge of each and every unique Sunday, this Monday meant much. Gone 57 days, but not forgotten. Still, the NFL's all-time completion percentage leader.

"You see him in here every day working," said left tackle and captain Orlando Brown Jr, even referring to the player off day. "I'd be in here Tuesdays. He'd be here. Every day. I was in here this last week (the bye), and he's working his ass off to get back. It means something to him."

They asked him if he'd be back for the Thanksgiving Night game in Baltimore in 17 days. Or if he'd be activated during the 21-day window the Bengals have to evaluate him while he's on the injured reserve. Or if the Bengals' record might dictate a decision to return this year or not.

Each time, Burrow pretty much said, "We'll see how these next couple weeks go."

He sees them going in the AFC North like this:

"I think we'll be at least in it until the end."

When he was coming back from his wrist injury a couple of years ago, he talked about his football mortality. Now, a month shy of 29 but still 11 years younger than Joe Flacco, the man making his fifth start in his place this Sunday in Pittsburgh, Burrow isn't in the same place with a division still swirling out there.

"I haven't really been in this spot where I have been injured and still had a chance to play in the year," Burrow said. "I haven't really had time to think about that very much."

On Monday, he talked about his respect for the ageless Flacco, his faith in the youthful Bengals defense, and why taking just 57 days to get back on the field didn't surprise him.

"On a scale of difficulty level, coming back, this one wasn't really up there," Burrow said. "I was back to moving pretty quickly and able to get back into my strength and conditioning level pretty quick. My body is in a good spot."

But how soon? How quick? There were a lot of "We'll see how it feels." The only things that could be answered were by his teammates. "The Burrow Effect," Chase Brown called it Monday.

"It's a throwback to training camp. He brings something. There's like this feeling," Brown said. "I caught a few from him today and they were coming in."

Orlando Brown Jr. called him "our engine." Rookie linebacker Barrett Carter settled on "a dog."

"Unbelievable," Carter said. "The way he's attacked his rehab and all the treatment. I don't know how he's back. Whenever you see No. 9 out there, you want to ball and get him the ball."

It could only mean one thing Monday.

Joe Burrow was back in uniform.