With Joe Burrow suffering a season-ending injury, the Cincinnati Bengals were forced to turn to their backup options. But with Burrow set to return from injury, the Bengals cut down on their number of rostered quarterbacks.
Backup AJ McCarron has been released by Cincinnati, the team announced. With Jake Browning an exclusive rights free agent, the Bengals can completely revamp their quarterback room behind Burrow.
McCarron signed with Cincinnati in September. However, when Burrow went down with his injury, the Bengals elected to turn to Browning instead. McCarron appeared in just two games, completing four of five passes for 19 scoreless yards.
If he wasn't going to get an opportunity when Burrow went down, Cincinnati understandably moved on from McCarron. Whether it's Browning or an outside candidate, the Bengals will now search for a strong backup in case Burrow were to suffer another devastating injury.
While he didn't have the most explosive run with the Bengals, the 2023 offered a reunion with McCarron. He began his NFL career with the team, playing for Cincy from 2015-2017. If the 2023 season marked the last time McCarron dons a Bengals jersey, he'll end his tenure with the team with 939 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He went 2-1 as a starter.
Jake Browning might've put up a valiant effort, but the Bengals are not the same team without Joe Burrow. They'll welcome him back with open arms as he looks to shake his injury. But in case he goes down again, Cincinnati wants to make sure they have the best solution behind him.
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