Why the Bengals Are Giving Backup Quarterback Jake Browning More Than They Had To

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals have signed quarterback Jake Browning to a two-year contract in a move that signals more than security.

Despite entering the league in 2019 as an undrafted college free agent with the Minnesota Vikings, Browning did not accrue a season of service time until last year when he made his NFL debut with three snaps of mop-up duty in the season-opening loss before taking over injured starter Joe Burrow in Week 12.

Browning entered this offseason as an exclusive rights free agent, and the Bengals offered him a one-year tender in March. By doing so, it meant Browning could not negotiate with other teams, and Cincinnati could simply pay the quarterback the league-minimum salary.

Bengals Go Above, Beyond in Signing Jake Browning

But in an act of good faith as well as reward, the Bengals agreed to sign Browning for two seasons after he went 4-3 in seven starts last season and kept Cincinnati in the playoff race until Week 17.

JB6 secured. pic.twitter.com/SP507X64Tm

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) April 23, 2024

Browning got off to a historic start, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to complete at least 78% of his passes and have a passer rating of at least 95 in his first three starts.

Browning completed 79.3% and had a 113.4 passer rating in leading the Bengals to wins against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts after losing his debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He led the NFL in completion percentage in 2023 at 70.4%.

Browning took over midway through the Week 11 game at Baltimore after Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury that required surgery.

An offense that had just found its rhythm in Week 8 when Burrow’s injured calf returned to near 100% never suffered much of a falloff after Browning took over.

“I take a lot of pride in what I put on tape, and we put on tape as a team,” Browning said heading into the season finale.

“And, you know, I think for someone like myself, that’s, that’s your résumé. I’m gonna take a lot of pride and a lot of effort to make sure that I’m always putting out good tape and always on my best, even if it’s maybe we don’t have a shot at the playoffs or anything like that, but having some personal pride.”

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The Bengals could have done the bare minimum in forcing Browning to play on a league-minimum deal, and they could have repeated the move again next offseason. Instead, they elected to reward him as a valuable insurance policy for Burrow, whose injury history continues to lengthen.

The Bengals also signed quarterback Logan Woodside, who was their seventh-round pick in 2018. Woodside played 13 games for the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons from 2020-23.