The Cincinnati Bengals 2023 campaign just took a brutal turn for the worse with Joe Burrow officially out for the season with a wrist injury. The Bengals superstar left early on Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens, and the news came on Friday that he is out for the year. Suddenly, it looks like Jake Browning will be the starter for the Bengals going forward unless they address the issue in the free-agent market.

So, the question comes, who is Jake Browning, the new quarterback for the Bengals?

Who is new Bengals QB Jake Browning? 

If you are a college football fan, you probably know Jake Browning's name. He made his mark with the Washington Huskies, leading them to a 12-2 2 record and a Pac-12 title in his sophomore season. As a result, he was sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting, was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, and earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 First-team.

Browning would eventually go on to be the all-time leading passer in Washington football history in his senior season, and his final collegiate game was a Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State. His final career stats are incredible:

  • 12,296 passing yards
  • 94 touchdowns
  • 150.5 QB rating
  • 39-15 record

After college, he went undrafted and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent. He spent time with the Vikings from 2019 to 2021 back and forth between the practice squad and waivers and didn't throw a pass with the team.

In 2021, the Bengals signed Browning after he was released by the Vikings. Once again, Browning spent time on waivers and then back on the Bengals practice squad. Heading into the 2023 season, Browning and Trevor Siemian battled it out for backup duties, and Browning eventually won the job.

In the preseason, Browning played in all three games and threw for 277 yards on a 32-of-45 clip with one score and a pair of interceptions in a bit of an underwhelming performance.

Browning was on track to potentially start in Week 3 with Burrow nursing an injury, but the superstar ended up getting the start. Browning stepped in after Burrow's injury on Thursday night and went 8-of-14 for 68 yards and a score in the loss to the Ravens.

The free agent market doesn't have very many appealing options, and with the NFL trade deadline in the rearview mirror, Zac Taylor might not have many options. ut to roll with Jake Browning for the rest of the season, and there is currently no other quarterback on the Bengals' active roster.