Following the calf injury that will keep star quarterback Joe Burrow out for most, if not all, of the preseason, the Bengals have decided to add another camp body to their quarterbacks room. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Cincinnati plans to sign former XFL quarterback Reid Sinnett in order to help manage through the preseason.
This is not Sinnett’s first stint on an NFL squad. He originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 out of San Diego. He also previously spent time with the Miami Dolphins (twice) and Philadelphia Eagles before finding his way to the XFL. He never made any NFL appearances, but he did spend time on the active rosters in both Miami and Philadelphia.
In the XFL, Sinnett got his first professional playing time with the San Antonio Brahmas. Unfortunately, his time on the field was cut short. After only starting one game as a pro, Sinnett was placed on injured reserve after suffering a broken foot.
Sinnett is likely not a threat to push Bengals backup quarterbacks Trevor Siemian or Jake Browning for playing time and he’s obviously not going to challenge Burrow upon his return, but Burrow went down early into training camp and the Bengals have a long way to go before they start playing football that matters. Going through the preseason with only two active quarterbacks is just not a viable option, so Sinnett gets more NFL experience under his belt to help Cincinnati get through camp without putting too much on Siemian and Browning.
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