5 Cincinnati Bengals QB replacements with Joe Burrow ruled out for season

By Andrew Buller-Russ

·Updated: November 17, 2023

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Joe Burrow was apparently already injured heading into Thursday night’s 34-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but the Cincinnati Bengals QB made his injury worse and was forced out of action in the second quarter. On Friday, we learned that Burrow’s latest wrist injury involves a torn ligament, which rules him out for the team’s final seven games of the season.

While the Bengals already have a tough road ahead, being that Cincinnati fell to 5-5 after Week 11’s loss, their odds of reaching the postseason have taken a significant hit with Burrow’s injury.

You won’t hear it from anyone associated with the Bengals, but Cincinnati’s season is now officially hanging in the balance. Without getting above-average production out of backup QB Jake Browning, Cincinnati’s season will get much worse before it gets any better.

Browning will definitely be the team’s starter next Sunday when the Bengals face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 26. But there will still be external pressure to add another QB to Cincinnati’s roster before Week 12. With A.J. McCarron being the only other QB in the Bengals’ organization and currently sitting on the practice squad, here are five other solutions for Cincinnati this season.

Bengals poach David Blough off Detroit’s practice squad

No, you won’t find Tom Brady’s name on this list because a 46-year-old won’t come out of retirement for a team that is currently 5-5 and in last place of the AFC North. This means the Bengals will have to settle for scraps. But that’s life when you don’t invest much into the backup QB position.

This means players like fifth-year-pro David Blough, who’s bounced around to four different teams since entering the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2019. Blough has only made five career starts, coming when he was a rookie, for a horrible 3-12-1 Lions team led by Matt Patricia.

Blough hasn’t received much playing time since, but he did manage to complete 65.5 percent of his passes for the Cardinals across two starts a season ago. He’s currently stuck on the Lions’ practice squad behind Teddy Bridgewater, and if Hendon Hooker receives medical clearance over the next few weeks, Blough may be let go entirely. At the very least, he’d be a capable veteran who won’t be afraid to put in the work waiting for his next opportunity.

Colt McCoy dusts off the cleats for Cincinnati

The 37-year-old may be a bit rusty, as he hasn’t played an NFL down this season, but Colt McCoy appeared set to begin the year as the Arizona Cardinals’ starter before the regular season began. However, the Cards suddenly decided to trade for Joshua Dobbs, deciding to release McCoy from the roster altogether.

McCoy may be the most capable player available in free agency. While he only has 36 career starts to his name, McCoy has played fairly well over the past two seasons.

Colt McCoy’s stats since 2021: 1,520 passing yards, 4 TD, 4 INT, 71% comp. rate – 3-3 W/L

McCoy doesn’t have much mobility either, so he may be too exposed behind Cincinnati’s offensive line that has allowed the tenth-most sacks in the NFL so far. Yet, an outside chance to return to the playing field may be too enticing to pass up for the former Texas Longhorns legend. Again, the Bengals could do a lot worse than McCoy.

Bengals check to see if Nick Foles has any magic left

Always seemingly overlooked and forgotten about, former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles doesn’t have an NFL home right now either. It’s been six years since he led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Lombardi Trophy, but the 34-year-old Foles should still have plenty of football life left.

He’s made just 58 starts in his career, having led his teams to a .500 record, and his latest stint with the Indianapolis Colts last season didn’t go particularly well. Yet, even after completing just 59.5 percent of his passes while tossing four interceptions and accounting for zero touchdowns, we can’t put all the blame on Foles. The Colts were a mess last season, and there’s a reason they cleaned house.

Foles hasn’t been linked to any other NFL QB vacancies in recent time, but perhaps the Bengals’ desperation is what gets him off the couch. While he’s never had a big arm, Foles has shown the ability to play off-script, which could serve him well on the Bengals, if he ever saw the field.

Zac Taylor brings back a familiar face in Trevor Siemian

Perhaps the most obvious name that will undoubtedly be linked to the Bengals is Trevor Siemian. He’s on the New York Jets’ practice squad now, providing more depth behind Zach Wilson in the aftermath of the Aaron Rodgers injury. But Siemian spent all of training camp competing with Browning for the lead backup role in Cincinnati. The Bengals chose to let him go after roster cutdowns, but he definitely knows Zac Taylor’s offense, which could make him the best candidate to play in a pinch.

Siemian has been with the Jets since September 26, so he may be satisfied settling in with New York, but he’s not even Wilson’s top backup either. That job belongs to Tim Boyle. If the Jets don’t protect other teams from signing Siemian, the Bengals are nearly a sure bet to add him again.

Cincinnati Bengals bring Joe Flacco out of retirement

We’re not ignorant. We realize 38-year-old Joe Flacco’s best days are far behind him, but let’s be honest: that’s where the Bengals are this season too. A healthy Burrow isn’t returning to the field any time soon, and the Bengals need to prepare for the worst.

Say what you want about Flacco’s lengthy release time, his lack of mobility, or diminishing skills, but he can still uncork a 60-yard pass downfield if needed. That feature alone has to intrigue Ja’Marr Chase, who’s “always open.”

Yet, adding Flacco won’t really change anything for the Bengals. Browning will still be the team’s starter, barring another injury. However, if more injuries occur, Cincinnati may not be able to do much better than the former Super Bowl MVP, with over 42,000 passing yards to his name. If the Bengals do have any interest in adding Flacco, they may want to act quickly since their AFC North rival Cleveland Browns worked out the veteran QB on Friday following Deshaun Watson’s season-ending injury.