On Tuesday, the Bengals signed free agents Sean Clifford and Mike White to supplement their QB depth chart in the wake of Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury, which will keep the star signal-caller sidelined until sometime in December. But as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports, Cincinnati did not make any trade inquiries into veteran passers on other teams.
The implication is that the Bengals believe Browning gives them at least as good of a chance to win as any trade candidate. And there is some justification for that belief. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter observes, Browning’s 70.4% completion percentage during the seven games he played in relief of an injured Burrow in 2023 led the NFL. That percentage was not simply a function of short, safe passes, because his 267 passing yards-per-game average was the sixth-highest mark in the league during his stint as a starter (which yielded a 4-3 record).
After Burrow exited last week’s game against the Jaguars, Browning completed 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also rushing for the game-winning score in the waning moments of the contest. However, he did throw three interceptions, so ball security was surely a point of emphasis in practice this week.
Despite close calls against the Browns and Jags to open the current campaign, the Bengals are 2-0. They will hope that Browning can keep them in the running for a playoff berth come December, when Burrow will have a chance to return. Rapoport says that remains a possibility and that Cincinnati could have the two-time Pro Bowler back on the field for the last few games of the regular season if the team’s record warrants it, though Burrow’s rehab will also have to go “perfectly.”
For the 29-year-old Browning, the next several months represent a prime opportunity to cash in. As Rapoport points out, the 2019 UDFA did not stick on an active roster until 2023. Therefore, he will only hit three years of service time at the end of this season, which will make him a restricted free agent in 2026.
The Bengals will have an option of tendering Browning at the original-round level (a tender that was worth $3.4MM this year), second-round level ($5.33MM), or first-round level ($7.5MM). Given Burrow’s history of health concerns, a first-round tender is not out of the question, especially since annual salaries for qualified backup QBs is around the $6MM-$8MM range (with the obvious exception of Kirk Cousins, who was not signed to be a backup).
Rapoport also leaves open the possibility that the Bengals and Browning could agree to an extension, as the Bears and Tyson Bagent did in August. Or, if Browning plays well enough to convince another team he can be a full-time starter, such a team could sign the Washington product to an offer sheet that Cincy cannot match.
Of course, a great deal has to go right for that to be a realistic possibility. For now, Browning & Co. will try to navigate a schedule that includes matchups with playoff hopefuls like the Broncos, Lions, Packers, and Steelers.