Pro Football Rumors
In need of quarterback depth, the Bengals have moved quickly in finding a pair of additions. Mike White and Sean Clifford are heading to Cincinnati.
Both players have agreed to a deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. To no surprise, these will be practice squad arrangements in each case. White and Clifford’s addition come one day after it was confirmed Joe Burrow will require toe surgery. The Bengals will thus be without their starter for at least three months.
In the wake of that news, head coach Zac Taylor said the team would be active in seeking out a free agent signal-caller. Jake Browning is in position (once again) to fill in for an injured Burrow. Brett Rypien found himself on the Bengals’ practice squad for Week 2, but he is a candidate to be promoted to the active roster with Burrow sidelined. He, alongside White and Clifford, will now compete for the QB2 role.
White has made 15 appearances and seven starts in his career. His first ever start took place against the Bengals in 2021, and it was part of a four-year run within the AFC East. The former fifth-rounder was with the Jets for 2021 and ’22, and he followed that up with single campaigns in Miami and Buffalo. White was among the Bills’ roster cuts this summer, leaving him on the open market through the beginning of the campaign.
The 49ers hosted the 30-year-old last week in the wake of Brock Purdy‘s injury. No deal was worked out in that instance, but the opposite has proven to be true in the case of the Bengals. White and Clifford will be eligible for a gameday elevation as early as Week 3 (presuming neither of them are promoted to the active roster in the coming days).
Clifford, a Packers fifth-rounder in 2023, made a pair of appearances during his rookie season. He remained in place last year but did not see the field. This summer, the Penn State product was waived during roster cuts. Clifford went unclaimed and thus became a free agent in time for the start of the season. After not being linked to any suitors in September, he has now landed an opportunity with the Bengals.
Cincinnati sits at 2-0, but the loss of Burrow will deal a blow to the team’s chances of remaining among the AFC’s top contenders as the season progresses. Browning will play a key role in guiding the offense for the foreseeable future, but it will be interesting to see how the Bengals’ backup competition shakes out.
