Insider names retired QB as possible Bengals target with Joe Burrow injured

Shortly after the Cincinnati Bengals fell to 2-2 on the season via a 28-3 blowout loss at the Denver Broncos this past Monday night, Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase said that "it didn't look like we wanted it" as backup quarterback Jake Browning made a second straight start in place of the injured Joe Burrow (toe). 

For a piece published on Wednesday, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler suggested the Bengals could soon reach out to an inactive signal-caller about serving as Burrow's temporary replacement through the end of the ongoing campaign. 

Bengals still believe in Jake Browning, but...

"The Bengals still believe in Jake Browning, who was far from the only culprit in Denver on Monday, but Cincinnati has too much skill position talent to accept the status quo," Fowler explained. "At some point, it could need reinforcements at the game's most important position. It might be worth calling up recently retired Derek Carr to check on how his shoulder injury is healing."

With Browning in the lineup, Cincinnati endured a disappointing 48-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings before this past Monday's encounter. According to Pro Football Reference, Browning began Wednesday ranked 31st in the NFL among qualified players with a 67.9 passer rating for the season. StatMuse shows only two players committed more turnovers than Browning (five) over the campaign's first four weeks. 

As for Carr, he admitted in September that he "wouldn’t say never" regarding a possible comeback after he retired as an active player in May due to reasons related to a significant shoulder injury. He remains under contract with the New Orleans Saints, so Cincinnati would have to trade for his services. 

Why Russell Wilson may not be an option for Bengals

Many have linked the Bengals with Russell Wilson of the New York Giants ever since Wilson lost the starting job to rookie Jaxson Dart last week. However, Dan Graziano noted for the ESPN article that "the Giants might wait until someone gets desperate to ship [Wilson] out" for the most value possible. 

Wilson and fellow veteran Jameis Winston are currently mentoring Dart, who was evaluated for concussions twice over the last two months after he took unnecessary hits during games. In short, the Giants may need Wilson to make another start or two before the Nov. 4 trade deadline arrives. 

That said, Fowler added that the Bengals could become desperate to acquire Wilson if their "downward spiral deepens" via this coming Sunday's home game against the 3-1 Detroit Lions. As of Wednesday morning, ESPN BET had the Bengals as 10.5-point underdogs for that matchup.