Joe Burrow limped off the field, and every Cincinnati Bengals fan felt their stomach drop. The franchise quarterback they’ve waited decades for was down, and this time it looked serious. With surgery looming and a three-month timeline staring them in the face, the Bengals suddenly find themselves in the most uncomfortable position in football: shopping for their most important player’s replacement.
How Serious Is Joe Burrow’s Toe Injury?
When Burrow limped off the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars, you could immediately tell that something did not look right. The prognosis surrounding the injury does not look great.
With surgery, Burrow is expected to miss three months, which takes him to mid-December. By then, no one will know where the Bengals’ record falls. They need a quarterback, especially if they do not want to keep playing with backup Jake Browning.
Injuries in the NFL happen every week. Teams deal with bumps, bruises, and sprains from camp to winter. However, when the face of the franchise falls to injury, not only does the mood change, but scrambling for help also becomes the top priority. When the injury isn’t potentially season-ending, the front office will go the extra mile to keep everything calm.
Which Free Agents Could Step In for the Bengals?
The pickings in the free agency market for Burrow’s replacement look rather slim. Still, bringing in a signal-caller as another insurance policy makes sense. Here are five options that could help keep the team afloat until Burrow returns.
Ryan Tannehill
While bringing in a 37-year-old street free agent does not feel like the most positive move, the veteran could boost the team or provide a capable stopgap. During his last stop with the Tennessee Titans, the former Pro Bowler displayed excellent touch on the deep pass, allowing receivers to run under the ball in stride. Plus, while not as fleet of foot as he used to be, Ryan Tannehill knows the game well enough to slide away from pressure and deliver the ball.
Ben DiNucci
Speaking of mobile, Ben DiNucci will tuck the ball and run. Granted, he will not impress anyone with his arm. Yet, he is a low-cost option that may even be worth a call to back up Browning if the team chooses to stick with the backup.
Desmond Ridder
Of all the options, this one makes the most sense. Desmond Ridder was in camp with the Bengals all summer, and he knows the offense. He probably has timing and some chemistry with the receivers, so he will not face a sharp learning curve.
On top of that, from a local standpoint, seeing a local college legend line up for the NFL team would make for a great story. Ridder led the University of Cincinnati to a 44-6 record over his career and a BCS berth. His arm and mobility could play well again in southwestern Ohio.
Desmond Ridder letting it fly 🎯
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Sean Clifford
The former Green Bay Packers backup can fill in, maybe even spot start. His mobility may not look elite, but he will pick up positive yards and attempt to break containment. Sean Clifford could fit if the Bengals want a low-cost option that neither wins nor loses games.
Tanner Mordecai
Of all the options, Tanner Mordecai could have the best remaining upside. He will throw the ball vertically, get outside the pocket, and want to play fast, similar to his days at SMU. He could be another player to sign as a backup and maybe push Browning in practice.
Kyle Trask
The former Buccaneers boasts a strong arm, which could easily slice through the winds whipping off the Ohio River. Moreover, he doesn’t necessarily need to fit into the game manager role, as vertical acumen will stretch a defense.
Aside from these six options, Derek Carr is another intriguing name fans might wonder about as a possible fit with the Bengals. However, he retired from the NFL this past offseason, and analyst Mike Florio reported that Carr still isn’t healthy enough to return to the field.
If healthy, Carr would have been the best option on the market, but unfortunately, he isn’t ready to return to football yet.
Workable Practice Squad Options
In addition to free agents, several options exist on practice squads across the league. Players like Tyler Huntley, CJ Beathard, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Tommy Devito, and Bailey Zappe all possess starting experience with enough talent to move the ball, in concert with the running game.
However, if the Bengals want to claim one of these players, they must follow league rules. First, the player must be signed to the active 53-man roster. They cannot transfer from practice squad to practice squad. Also, the athlete must receive a corresponding number of paychecks for being on the active roster.
Even if they do not stay on the active roster long, Cincinnati must pay them out. The original team can outright deny the claim by signing the player to their own active roster. In essence, this protects the player and ensures both a payday and service time. Service time is the measure of a player’s career that is used to determine pension, given the player plays long enough to reach those standards.
The options aren’t exactly inspiring, but that’s the reality of December free agency. The question now becomes whether any of these quarterbacks can provide enough stability to keep Cincinnati’s season alive while their franchise player recovers.
