Buccaneers Terminate Contract of Former Starting QB

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers terminated the contract of veteran quarterback Jake Browning on Sunday as they trimmed their roster to the NFL’s 53-player limit, ending a brief stay that began with a one-year deal in March.

Browning, 30, signed with Tampa Bay after the Cincinnati Bengals declined to tender him as a restricted free agent. The Bucs had given him $400,000 guaranteed and expected him to serve as Baker Mayfield’s primary backup. Instead, undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels of Kansas won the job in camp and the preseason.

Tampa Bay also waived Connor Bazelak, leaving Daniels as the only quarterback behind Mayfield on the active roster.

As a vested veteran, Browning is not subject to waivers and is immediately a free agent. Reports indicated the Bucs offered him a practice-squad spot; he declined in order to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

Browning’s NFL path was long and uneven. An undrafted free agent out of Washington in 2019, he spent years on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad before landing with Cincinnati. He finally stuck in 2023, winning the backup job behind Joe Burrow.

When Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury that year, Browning started seven games and went 4-3, keeping the Bengals in playoff contention until late in the season. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors during that stretch.

He remained Burrow’s backup in subsequent years. In 2025 he appeared in five games and made three starts after Burrow went down with turf toe.

Browning completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 771 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions; Cincinnati went 0-3 in those starts and later acquired Joe Flacco. Browning was eventually benched.

Over three seasons with the Bengals, he played 17 games with 10 starts, totaling 2,707 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Since 2023, his 22 total touchdowns ranked among the most for quarterbacks with 10 or fewer starts.

At Washington he was a four-year starter and still holds school records for passing yards (12,296) and touchdowns (94). That production never fully translated into a secure NFL role beyond emergency starter.

For Tampa Bay, the cut is a bet on youth and a quiet preseason from Browning, who completed 10 of 15 passes for 86 yards with no scores in exhibition play.

For Browning, it is another search for a landing spot—one that will likely hinge on whether a team needs a quarterback who has already started meaningful games when a franchise passer was hurt.

The Buccaneers open the regular season at Cincinnati, Browning’s former club.