It has been a fun ride for Jake Browning the last month-and-a-half, but so long as he remains with the Cincinnati Bengals heading into 2024, he won’t be able to pick up where he left off.
Browning was pressed into starting duty in Week 11 after Joe Burrow exited the Bengals’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a wrist injury.
Since taking over as the starting quarterback, Browning threw for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 70.4 percent of his passes (which led the NFL) and posting a passer rating of 98.4. He went 4-3 in seven starts.
Browning, thinks that what he showed during that time should be enough to earn him a starting job somewhere.
“I’ve established that I’m capable of being a starter in the NFL,” Browning said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “I’m one of the Top 32 quarterbacks in the world and just happen to be on a roster with a guy who’s proven he’s a Top 5 quarterback in the world.”
Therein lies the problem. Barring another injury to Burrow, Browning will never get a chance to spread his wings in Cincinnati.
Browning, who went 18-for-24 with 156 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in Cincinnati’s season-ending win over the Cleveland Browns, will be an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, meaning the Bengals can either retain him on a league-minimum salary or trade him to another team.
While the 27-year-old will almost certainly prefer to be dealt, he understands that is not up to him.
“What that looks like going forward I have no idea, nor do I have any control,” Browning said.
The good news for Browning is that he surely generated some decent trade value for himself this season, so perhaps Cincinnati will cash in now. Or, maybe the team will appreciate the insurance he provides behind Burrow and keep him for another year.
Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that Jake Browning feels he deserves a shot.
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