Following his impressive 2023 campaign, Jake Browning will remain with the Bengals.
The Cincinnati Bengals did not have the season they had hoped for in 2023, largely because of the season-ending wrist injury that ended star quarterback Joe Burrow’s career after 10 games. Although Burrow is expected to return to action in Week 1 of the 2024 season, the Bengals want to ensure that they have backup plans in case he sustains another injury.
Burrow’s absence forced Cincinnati to use Jake Browning at centre, and Browning performed remarkably well (171/243, 1936 YDS, 12 TD, 7 INT). The Bengals re-signed Browning to a two-year contract just prior of the 2024 NFL Draft because, although he won’t replace Burrow as the starting wide receiver, he is a solid insurance policy to have in case he gets hurt again.
Bengals shoring up quarterback depth behind Joe Burrow
Brown was solid under center for the Bengals, and while it certainly helped that he had weapons like Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Mixon at his disposal, he kept Cincinnati in the playoff race down the stretch of the season. While they ultimately didn’t make it, having someone like Browning who is capable of filling in when needed is a huge plus for Cincy moving forward.
Browning wasn’t the only quarterback the Bengals recently signed, though, as they also reunited with their former 2018 seventh-round draft pick in Logan Woodside. Aside from Cincinnati, Woodside has spent time with the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons, and while he’s never thrown a pass in the NFL, he has experience in the team’s offensive system, which is a plus worth noting.
The best case scenario for the Bengals is that neither of these guys have to take the field because Burrow stays healthy and plays at a high level. Of course, that’s never a guarantee in this league, which the team saw firsthand last season, so you can’t ever have too much protection at the most important spot in the game of football. With that in mind, both of these moves could end up coming in handy moving forward.
Cincinnati has likely been turning their attention towards the 2024 NFL Draft for some time now, but in case there was any doubt, it looks unlikely quarterback is a position they will be targeting over the next few days. Burrow is a star, and there’s really no sense in adding a developmental prospect with Browning and Woodside in town. The good news is that with this spot seemingly settled, the Bengals can focus heavily on addressing their top needs, with their offensive and defensive line appearing to be the two biggest of the bunch. In a perfect world, neither Browning or Woodside will throw a pass for Cincy, but in the event something happens to Burrow, the front office has done well to protect themselves.
