The Cincinnati Bengals paid their top two receivers, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, big money this offseason to bolster their offense, hoping Joe Burrow would lead them to another Super Bowl. But Burrow’s injury has forced backup Jake Browning into the starting role, and the results have been underwhelming, to say the least.
Browning has struggled mightily in his three starts, losing all of them and throwing as many interceptions as touchdowns in Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions. In response to these struggles, Higgins’ mother has shared a strong message regarding the team’s quarterback situation.
Tee Higgins’ Mom Addresses QB Situation Amid Jake Browning’s Struggles
Browning, an undrafted free agent with the Vikings in 2019, joined the Bengals in 2021 as Burrow’s backup. During Burrow’s absence in the 2023 season, Browning went 4-3 as a starter, giving fans hope that he could manage the offense effectively this year as well.
However, the 2025 season has been a different story. Browning has turned a 2-0 start into a 2-3 record for the Bengals and is currently among the few quarterbacks who have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns — two more, to be exact.
The struggles have left both fans and players frustrated. Following the latest loss, Higgins’ mother took to social media to voice her feelings. On X, she wrote a pointed message:
“Quarterback me please.”
Quarterback me please 😩😩
— TEEHIGGINSMOM #5 ✋🏽💫 (@adizlady) October 5, 2025
Though brief, Higgins’ mother’s post captures the frustration many feel about the Bengals’ quarterback struggles. Browning started the game by throwing three interceptions, essentially handing the win to the Lions.
While he did rally with three touchdowns, including one to Higgins, the Bengals ultimately fell 24-37. Earlier in the week, head coach Zac Taylor had publicly backed Browning, who ranked dead last in PFSN’s QBi metric heading into the game. Following the loss, Taylor took responsibility for the team’s performance.
“Put this on me,” Taylor said. “I gotta do a better job getting us into a rhythm. Get us in a way where we can sustain some drives. Put points on the board. There’s some plays he’s gonna want to have back. I’m glad he hung in there, made some plays for us down the stretch, three-straight touchdown drives at the end of the game. Sure, a lot of people want him on the bench at that point. I could hear it, and he stuck with him, and he comes back and has three straight drives for touchdowns.
“And that’s the Jake Browning I know. He’s resilient. He’ll stare diversity in the face, you can count on him bouncing back.”
While Taylor is right to take responsibility, the Bengals may need to reconsider their quarterback experiment and explore acquiring a more reliable option, such as Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson. With Burrow sidelined at least until December, Cincinnati faces a crucial stretch that could determine whether their playoff aspirations stay alive.
