Which Bengals QB Is Going To Win the Job as Joe Burrow’s Backup?

There are some spots on the Cincinnati Bengals 53-man roster that could be won or lost Saturday night in the preseason finale at Washington, but there is one that definitely will be decided.

The backup quarterback job remains unsettled after Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian have alternated reps with the first and second teams in practice and in the two previous preseason games.

Will Trevor Siemian or Jake Browning Be Joe Burrow’s Backup?

Even with Joe Burrow progressing and things looking more optimistic for him to be available for the regular-season opener at Cleveland, the backup job still is an important one, and the battle most fans will be most interested in watching in what should be an otherwise forgettable game given who is and isn’t expected to play.

“Close” is how head coach Zac Taylor described the race to win the job during his news conference Thursday afternoon.

“Those guys have both really worked on the things we’ve asked them to improve on,” he continued. “I do see them getting better every single day that passes. There’s more comfort in working with that group and making the checks and doing the things effectively that we want them to do. It’s been a tight race.”

But not exactly one run at a blistering pace.

The offense failed to score a touchdown on its first 21 possessions of the preseason before Browning directed an eight-play, 80-yard, go-ahead march to put the Bengals in front with 50 seconds to go in Atlanta, only to see the Falcons go down the field and hit a field goal at the gun for a 13-13 tie.

CHASE BROWN TD‼️#CINatATL | 📺 @paramountplus, Local 12, NFL + pic.twitter.com/w6grUcpjiA

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 19, 2023

That drive came after Browning had thrown an ill-advised pass while rolling out on a 3rd-and-9 play in his own territory, leading to an interception.

Browning is 26 of 39 for 235 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in the preseason. Siemian is 22 of 42 for 183 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

The biggest difference separating them is the plays Browning can make with his legs, as he has six carries for 55 yards, leaving him just nine yards shy of being the team’s leading rusher in the preseason (rookie running back Chase Brown holds that distinction with 64 yards on 14 carries).

Browning has led 10 drives, and the Bengals have scored on five of them. Siemian has had 11 drives and produced only a pair of field goals.

But most of what Taylor and the rest of the staff are weighing are subtle things — not just drive results — whether it be practice or games.

“Checks at the line, making calls, making route adjustments, getting us out of plays, operating quickly at the line of scrimmage when we’re in a blitz period,” Taylor said.

“We use the 40-second clock, and so they’ve had that working against them, too. There’s just a lot of things. And then the timeliness of operating through a progression. Sometimes they might throw the ball for a three-yard checkdown. That might be a big play for us, considering maybe a decision they’ve made two days before where they forced it into coverage.”

“So there’s things like that that might not seem all that sexy to those watching,” Taylor continued. “But for us, those are the things you’re looking for your backup quarterback to effectively do.”

It's raining tuddies 🌩️@jake_browning x @Trent5Taylor pic.twitter.com/z35oEmbqDY

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 14, 2023

Earlier in the week, Taylor said anything is feasible when it comes to the backup job. And while looking outside the organization might seem to be a non-starter given the amount of catchup a new quarterback would have to do, Brandon Allen could be in play if the Bengals aren’t satisfied with Browning or Siemian.

MORE: Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie Is BACK

Allen was Burrow’s backup from 2020-22 and knows Taylor from their days with the Rams. He’s currently fourth on the San Francisco depth chart, but there are questions about Trey Lance’s future with the 49ers after the team named Sam Darnold as their backup.

But even with Allen’s history with Taylor and the Cincinnati offense, the ideal scenario would be for either Siemian or Browning to step up and definitively win the job with a late push Saturday night.