Sportsnaut
After a 2-0 start, the Cincinnati Bengals felt good about where they were. This remained true, even after Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury expected to keep him out for three months. That’s because they liked what they had in backup QB Jake Browning, who has been learning head coach Zac Taylor’s system since 2021. It also didn’t hurt that Browning held a 4-3 starting record, stemming from the 2023 season, Burrow’s last season-ending injury.
Yet, after Cincinnati got walloped 48-10 (the biggest loss in franchise history), it’s been hard to quiet Bengals rumors about chasing a different quarterback.
Related: 5 Cincinnati Bengals QB Replacements After Joe Burrow’s Injury
The recent chatter comes from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who suggests Cincinnati is the “obvious” landing spot for recently benched New York Giants QB Russell Wilson.
Wilson’s first three games (all losses) with the Giants delivered mixed results. First came an anemic offensive performance, where he completed just 45.9% of his passes for 168 scoreless yards.
Then, Wilson went berserk, completing 73.2% of his passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns, taking the Cowboys to overtime but losing by three after putting up 37 points. Unfortunately, Wilson followed that up with another dud where he’d complete 56.2% of his passes for 160 scoreless yards, plus two interceptions.
With New York’s offense ranking 31st in third down and red-zone scoring opportunities, the Giants felt they had no choice but to turn to their prized first-round rookie. Yet, in Cincinnati, their backup plan is already failing, so maybe it’s time to consider a potential upgrade, like a former Super Bowl winner with 10 Pro Bowl appearances to his name.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Where’s Jake Browning?
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