Bengals make first cut of offseason, release QB

The Bengals are beginning to prepare for the 2024 season and the return of QB Joe Burrow by making their first cut of the offseason.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Cincinnati is releasing backup QB A.J. McCarron, who joined the team for depth following Burrow's season-ending wrist injury, which he suffered in Week 11.

Parting ways with McCarron makes sense after the emergence of QB Jake Browning this year. The 27-year-old had the Bengals fighting for a playoff spot while throwing for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two months of the season.

Browning also became the first quarterback since the NFL began tracking quarterback starts in 1950 to have 1,000+ passing yards and complete over 75 percent of his passes in his first four starts, according to ESPN's Field Yates.

However, if Cincinnati wants Browning to return to backup Burrow in 2024, it will need to resign him this offseason as he was playing on a one-year deal. But the release of McCarron shows the team's confidence that that will happen.

As for McCarron, he hopes to continue his NFL career, which also includes stops with the Bills (2018), Raiders (2018), Texans (2019-2) and Falcons (2021), elsewhere. Although, he doesn't have a very strong case after throwing for just 19 yards on five attempts in relief of Browning this season.

The 33-year-old made his way back to the league after leading the XFL in touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating in 2023 and it looks like he is going to have to take a similar path to return to the NFL once again next season.

McCarron is expected to sign back with the St. Louis Battlehawks for the 2024 XFL season, and with another strong showing, the Bengals or another team may give him another shot in the league.

But right now, Cincinnati is solely focused on building up other parts of its roster as a healthy Burrow is working his way back to contend for another Super Bowl in 2024.