Ahead of yesterday’s game, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expressed confidence in Jake Browning‘s ability to handle quarterback duties in place of Joe Burrow. After another poor outing, though, things could change soon. 
Browning wound up throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns during Sunday’s loss to the Lions. However, much of that production (and all three scores) came during the fourth quarter with Cincinnati trailing by a large margin. Browning’s early showing included three interceptions, and after the game Taylor seemed to leave the door open to a change under center.
“After a game like that, we’re going to look at all personnel to make sure we’re doing the right thing,” Taylor said (via ESPN’s Ben Baby). “I won’t shy away from that because it’s a very fair question after the amount of turnovers that we had.”
Browning has thrown eight interceptions on just 124 pass attempts since taking over from an injured Burrow. Ending Cincinnati’s three-game losing streak will require an improved showing in terms of avoiding turnovers, something which could be brought about by a switch at the quarterback spot. Brett Rypien is currently second on the depth chart, while in-season signings Mike White and Sean Clifford reside on the practice squad.
To date, the Bengals have yet to make inquiries about a trade aimed at shoring up the QB position. As long as Burrow remains on track to return at some point late in the year following toe surgery, Cincinnati could continue looking internally. That approach could still see Browning handling QB1 duties – Taylor added in his post-game press conference he remains confident in the 29-year-old – but it will be interesting to see what changes are made on offense over the next few days.
Regardless of what happens under center, improving on defense will be critical if the Bengals are to contend for a postseason berth. The team ranks 30th in points and yards allowed and sits at 2-3 on the year. Defense was a major issue last season and that has remained the case early in 2025. Taylor and his staff will have a number of important decisions to make before visiting the Packers in Week 6.