The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a huge blow on Sunday as quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a toe injury that will require surgery, keeping the star quarterback sidelined for at least three months.
It's a major loss for the Bengals, who look like they're in for a long season despite a 2-0 start. Whoever they turn to at quarterback for this stretch will have to play behind an offensive line that struggles to create a clean pocket. It's not going to be easy.
Jake Browning will get the first shot at quarterbacking the Bengals, but the team will still need to find additional quarterback depth either via trade or free agency. Including Browning, here are five options as the Bengals try their best to replace Burrow.
Jake Browning
We start with the most obvious option here, which is the guy who the Bengals currently have penciled in as their starting quarterback with Burrow sidelined: Jake Browning.
Browning's been here before, filling in for Burrow in 2023. He was 4-3 in his seven starts and led the entire NFL in completion percentage at 70.4 percent, though he did throw seven interceptions.
Turnovers could prove to be the primary reason that the Bengals don't stick with Browning, as he has more career interceptions than he has career starts. There's also no guarantee that the player we saw in 2023 and the player we're going to see in 2025 are going to be at the same level. Browning didn't attempt a single pass last season; that long layoff could impact his effectiveness.
So, what if Browning goes out there and struggles? Cincy needs a Plan B. Brett Rypien is on the practice squad, but you aren't making a playoff run with Brett Rypien, so let's talk about some players the Bengals could bring in to back up Browning who could potentially start in case of an emergency — either a Browning injury or simply just poor play from a guy who threw three interceptions on Sunday.
Kirk Cousins
The Falcons would need to take on much of the money in Kirk Cousins' contract for this to work, but the Bengals can sweeten the deal by sending a better draft pick than Atlanta should be able to get for its veteran backup quarterback.
Cousins might be cooked after throwing an NFL-worst 16 interceptions last year, but it's not like interceptions haven't always been an issue for him. Washington and Minnesota lived with the turnovers because Cousins was an accurate passer the vast majority of the time who knew how to win regular-season games. He doesn't raise your team's ceiling much, but he does raise the floor through his veteran savvy and his ability to get the ball where it needs to go.
Maybe that's not still the case for the 37-year-old version of Cousins. Maybe his accuracy has dropped enough that the turnover concerns outweigh the positives.
Or maybe what Cousins needs is an offense with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Sure, he'll be a sitting duck in the pocket, but as long as he can keep shaking off the hits, Cousins could do some damage with these weapons.
Jameis Winston
I'm still not sure why Jameis Winston is a Giant. With Russell Wilson looking better than he has in years and first-round pick Jaxson Dart behind him, the team doesn't need Winston just sitting around on the end of their roster. It's a wasted spot and it'd be better to have an additional draft pick at this point.
Winston is the king of making bone-headed throws, but he's also the king of just airing the ball out and seeing what happens. In the right situation, that could be a very good skill, and a team with Chase and Higgins at wide receiver might be the best situation.
And while Winston gets maligned for his turnover issues, it's not like Cincy's other options don't also come with those concerns. Just scroll back up and you can see that both Browning and Cousins have struggled with interceptions. Winston at least has that 2019 season where he led the league in passing yards under his belt to showcase what he can do when he has top weapons.
Taylor Heinicke
The free agent market is weak at this point, but Taylor Heinicke could be used in a pinch if the Bengals need him.
...
Okay, I should probably say more than one sentence about Heinicke, but there's just not a lot to say here. He was pretty good in Washington. He was pretty bad in Atlanta. He threw five passes in Los Angeles last year, which is not enough to tell us anything about whether he would have been good or bad in 2024 if he'd had to play extensive snaps.
Heinicke is the perfect "we are not signing you to start, but I guess if we had to start you, we'd do it" player.
Desmond Ridder
Bring him back home!
The former University of Cincinnati quarterback was signed by the Bengals in July and spent the preseason with the team. The results were mixed, but it's also hard to draw any conclusions from the preseason.
There are two things I like about the Bengals hypothetically signing Ridder. One is that he has recent experience in this system, which could ease his transition if he's asked to start games.
Second, he's got a little mobility. In 2023 with the Falcons, Ridder rushed for five touchdowns on 53 carries, and his ability to escape the pass rush could prove to be very useful, considering he'd be playing behind this Bengals offensive line.
Of course, if Cincinnati has to turn to Ridder as the starter, then the season's probably over, but consider this: Browning will be a free agent in 2026 and the Bengals need a backup behind Burrow. This could be Ridder's shot to prove he could be that backup.