The Cincinnati Bengals may be fortunate that Jake Browning will have the opportunity to start many games for the team
The Cincinnati Bengals may be fortunate that Jake Browning will have the opportunity to start many games for the team in 2025.
Cincinnati fans got awful news early this week when it was revealed Joe Burrow has a ligament tear in his toe that will require surgery. The recovery from the procedure will keep him out until at least December. Meaning QB2 Browning will again be thrust into a significant amount of games this season.
Burrow’s absence has many NFL pundits expecting the Bengals’ offense to struggle for the next couple of months with their top star and leader out. Yet, they may be in one of the best situations when it comes to backup quarterbacks. The 29-year-old was 4-3 as a starter in 2023, and has shown he can be a high-impact player as long as he can limit his interceptions.
- Jake Browning stats (Career): 2,177 passing yards, 14 TDs, 10 INTs, 69.8 completion %, 95.1 passer rating
However, on Sunday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport pointed out another reason why the Bengals could benefit from having Browning as their starting QB. The three-year veteran is set to become a restricted free agent after the season.
A player having a big year right before hitting free agency has become like a tradition in professional sports. And Browning will surely have great tools at his disposal with, arguably, the best receiver on the planet in Ja’Marr Chase, and a great WR2 in Tee Higgins. The added motivation to show out to land the biggest contract of his career in the offseason could pay off in a major way for the Bengals, as well as keep them in the playoff chase through the fall and winter.
Could the Cincinnati Bengals land 1st-rounder if Jake Browning has a big season?
Yet, that is not the only good reason why the Bengals are in the best situation when it comes to backup QBs. Finding a competent starting signal caller is one of the hardest things to do in sports. A big year for the 29-year-old could lead to some strong offers from rival teams in free agency. However, since he is a restricted free agent, it would put Cincy in line for some very nice compensation, as Rapoport explained.
“Browning will be an RFA after this season, and he’ll have his first opportunity to sign a lucrative contract, giving Cincy an interesting decision. The options will be to give him an original-round tender (worth about $3.4 million this year), a second-round tender ($5.33 million), or a first-round tender (worth $7.5 million),” Rapoport wrote.
“If another team signs him away, the Bengals would receive a draft pick at the level of the compensation. It’s possible that if Browning establishes himself as a potential starter for someone in 2026, he would command the first-round tender.”
Losing a good backup QB definitely hurts. But if he could get them a first or second-round pick in the offseason, that would be a big win for the Bengals long-term.
Related Headlines
Category: General Sports
