Which QBs could Bengals target with Joe Burrow (toe) out long-term?
The Cincinnati Bengals were dealt a brutal blow in their Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars when Joe Burrow went down with a toe injury.
Burrow exited the game in the second quarter, required help getting to the locker room and was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest. The star quarterback has been diagnosed with a turf toe injury and is expected to need surgery that will sideline him a minimum of three months, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With Burrow set to miss time, the Bengals are likely to turn to backup quarterback Jake Browning to lead the team. The 29-year-old led Cincinnati to a come-from-behind win over Jacksonville, has a career record of 4-3 as a starter and has completed 69.8% of his career passes for 2,177 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
That said, the Bengals will still need to add extra depth behind Browning. They have just one other healthy quarterback in the organization, practice squad veteran Brett Rypien.
What type of quarterback might the Bengals bring in? ESPN reports the team is already ‘calling around to other free-agent quarterbacks’ to fill out their room.
That said, if Cincinnati wants to get aggressive in its quest to stay afloat without Burrow, it could target a couple of higher-end trade candidates to add depth and talent to the team’s quarterback room.
Here’s a look at the top quarterback options the Bengals could consider.
Kirk Cousins
OK, let’s just get this one out of the way. Any time a major quarterback injury occurs, Cousins’ name will be bandied about as a potential trade option, and with good reason. The 37-year-old has long been a quality NFL starter but finds himself stuck in a backup role behind Michael Penix Jr. with the Atlanta Falcons.
Cousins would give the Bengals a proven starter who could take advantage of the team’s high-quality receiving tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Zac Taylor also comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree, and Cousins enjoyed success playing under McVay during their time together in Washington.
The main problem with the Bengals acquiring Cousins? The veteran quarterback is in the second year of a four-year, $180 million contract. Paying him and Burrow (who is playing on a five-year, $275 million deal) would get expensive even if Cincinnati simply treated Cousins as a rental.
As such, Cousins isn’t a realistic option for the Bengals, especially if they are confident in Browning as a temporary starter. Cincinnati will probably seek a cheaper option to jockey for position on its quarterback depth chart.
Jameis Winston
If the Bengals are going to trade for a quarterback, Winston might be the prime candidate. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft has made 87 starts during his career and has the type of gunslinger mentality that could work in a Bengals offense sporting great talent at the skill positions.
Winston is playing on a two-year, $8 million deal that is commensurate with the pay of NFL backup quarterbacks. The Bengals could easily absorb that salary, install Winston as the backup behind Browning and ready the 31-year-old veteran to start should Browning stumble.
Winston went 2-5 in even starts with the Cleveland Browns last season, completing 61.1% of his passes for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Taylor Heinicke
If the Bengals prefer to dip into free agency to address the need for depth behind Browning, Heinicke may represent the best available option. The 32-year-old has a 13-15-1 record in 29 career starts and has completed a respectable 62.5% of his career passes for 6,663 yards, 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.
Heinicke spent the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Chargers and returned to them on a one-year extension in 2025. He lost the backup job to Trey Lance during the preseason, leading to his release ahead of the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline.
Tyler Huntley
Could Huntley continue his tour of the AFC North by signing with the Bengals? The 2022 Pro Bowler is currently on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad but could join Cincinnati if he signs to the team’s 53-man roster.
Huntley started five games for the Miami Dolphins last season, going 2-3 and completing 64.7% of his passes for 829 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. The 27-year-old brings a nice mix of short accuracy and mobility – he ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries last season – to the table.
Logan Woodside
If the Bengals want to add a different player from an AFC North practice squad, Woodside could be an option. He is presently with the Pittsburgh Steelers but could join the Bengals’ 53-man roster if offered a deal.
Woodside, 30, was originally a seventh-round pick by the Bengals in 2018. He failed to make the team and has bounced around as a journeyman since, but he landed back with Cincinnati in 2024. He re-signed with them on a one-year deal for 2025 but was released in July. Perhaps after Burrow’s injury, the Bengals will consider bringing him back.
Desmond Ridder
Ridder is the other quarterback the Bengals could consider re-signing. He was signed to the team’s training camp roster after Woodside’s release and remained with the team until the team trimmed its roster to 53 men.
Ridder was a third-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has a career record of 8-10 as a starter and has completed 63.6% of his passes for 4,002 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The 26-year-old has played for four teams over the last three seasons and may relish a chance to return to Cincinnati, where he starred collegiately for the Bearcats, if given the opportunity.
Trevor Siemian
Siemian signed with the Bengals during the 2023 NFL offseason to compete with Browning for the backup job. Browning won and Siemian was released, but could he return now that the Bengals could use an experienced backup?
Siemian has a 15-18 record in 33 career starts over 11 seasons in the NFL. He has completed 58.5% of his passes for 7,751 yards, 44 touchdowns and 32 interceptions and most recently guided the New York Jets to a 2-1 record across three starts in 2023.
Siemian is currently a member of the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad. Brian Callahan, the Titans coach, used to be Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator, so that added familiarity could make Siemian a good fit to come right in and battle for the backup job behind Browning.
