When a starting quarterback is lost for the year with injury, it is considered a forgone conclusion that his team's season ends as well. Hence, the immediate future is bleak for the Cincinnati Bengals now that Joe Burrow is sidelined with a wrist injury and likely headed for surgery. But a retired backup QB believes this current state of hopelessness was avoidable.

“What a wasted season for The Bengals…with that roster,” Chase Daniel posted on X shortly after the devastating news broke. “The BACK-UP QB is so damn important. Maybe this will be a sign for teams to SPEND on great backups!”

Someone better get those old Luke McCown Verizon commercials out of the vault, so that backups everywhere can rise up in solidarity. In all seriousness, Daniel is right. This a terrible predicament Cincy finds itself in going into the last seven games of the season.

Will teams put more stock in backup QBs following Joe Burrow injury?

Backup QBs are an afterthought until desperation arises

 

Jake Browning held his own in Burrow's stead on Thursday night versus the Baltimore Ravens (8-of-14 for 101 yards and a touchdown), but his track record inspires little confidence. He had never logged a snap in an NFL game before 2023, so experience is sure to be a factor in an upcoming slate of action that features only teams with a .500 record or better. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor might have to gut this offense to the studs, despite having two-time Pro Bowler Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the receiving corps.

To Daniel's point, perhaps that wouldn't be the case if they sprung for a top-end backup signal-caller in the offseason. The New York Jets boast a suffocating defense but are far from their ceiling due to a stalling offense. While it is not all on Zach Wilson, someone like Joshua Dobbs could have been a huge difference-maker in the standings for them, and now the Bengals as well.

Cincinnati was naturally cautious with its finances due to the need to finalize a contract extension with Joe Burrow. But some sort of balance will have to be obtained going forward. That is, unless Jake Browning proves us all wrong in these remaining weeks of play.