Cincinnati lost star quarterback Joe Burrow for at least three months when he suffered a toe injury in Week 2, a crushing loss that could send any team into a tailspin.
The Bengals, however, made no calls on veteran trade candidates this past week. They simply handed the ball to Jake Browning and moved forward.
“Jake is an example of someone who’s truly prepared for a moment,” head coach Zac Taylor said in the lead up to his team’s Week 3 game against the Minnesota Vikings. “So that’s where his confidence stems from. And now you just go play football.”
If history is any indicator, Cincy will be just fine with Browning under center.
Browning went 4-3 as a starter in 2023 when Burrow missed the remainder of the season following a November wrist injury. Burrow had surgery on Friday on his Grade 3 turf toe and is out a minimum of 12 weeks, sources say.
Burrow is unable to travel for at least the first two weeks of his rehab, but he is expected to be around the team and involved. Burrow could potentially return in December if the Bengals’ record warrants it, and if his rehab goes perfectly.
As for Browning, he’s playing for more than just his team and a coveted spot in the AFC playoffs. He finds himself in a unique contractual situation.
At 29 years old, despite signing as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 draft, he’s only now nearly eligible to be a restricted free agent. Browning will be an RFA after this season, and he’ll have his first opportunity to sign a lucrative contract, giving Cincy an interesting decision. The options will be to give him an original-round tender (worth about $3.4 million this year), a second-round tender ($5.33 million) or a first-round tender (worth $7.5 million). If another team signs him away, the Bengals would receive a draft pick at the level of the compensation.
