Bengals lose Burrow: Quarterbacks Cincinnati could look to amid star’s three-month absence

The Cincinnati Bengals are 2-0, but they would be forgiven for feeling as if their season is already over after receiving devastating news about an injury to starting quarterback Joe Burrow.

Burrow left the Bengals’ Week 2 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars with a toe injury that was confirmed on Monday to be a severe form of turf toe.

It was reported on Monday that the injury will require surgery and keep Burrow out for three months, marking a continuation on a theme for Burrow, who last season won Comeback Player of the Year for the second time in a career that has seen him deal with several injuries.

The loss of a quarterback who led the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns is a crushing one for the Bengals, who managed to beat the Jaguars without Burrow after backup Jake Browning snuck in on a one-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining.

Browning won four games as a starter in 2023 with Burrow on the sidelines. However, with the Bengals facing eight games with 2024 playoff teams in the 11 that their starter is set to miss, Browning is unlikely to be viewed as a quarterback who can keep Cincinnati at the sharp end of the AFC playoff hunt.

There are some alternatives available to the Bengals as they judge how to best handle their latest Burrow injury nightmare. Here we look at three.

Taylor Heinicke

Unsurprisingly, there aren’t a lot of inspiring names on the list of free agent quarterbacks at this point in the year.

But Heinicke is one who can at least be viewed as good enough to provide sufficient competition for Browning.

Heinicke is experienced, has a strong arm and brings at least some mobility to extend plays. He won 12 games as a starter with the Washington Commanders earlier in his career, helping them to the playoffs in the 2020 season.

As far as players available now at a low opportunity cost, Heinicke stands out as one of the best.

Kirk Cousins

Cousins is the player that will likely be mentioned the most as a trade candidate for the Bengals.

He is stuck behind Michael Penix Jr. on the Atlanta Falcons depth chart and will have full confidence he can make a difference for a contender even at the age of 37.

The four-time Pro Bowler has consistently shone in an offensive scheme that at least can be considered adjacent to that of the Bengals and could theoretically be trusted to provide efficiency and reliability. Cousins has never had a season with a completion percentage below 64 since becoming a full-time starter for Washington in 2015.

Yet there are clear questions about his mobility with Cousins under two years removed from a torn Achilles that ruined his final season with the Minnesota Vikings.

And, with Cousins in the second year of a four-year, $180 million contract, the cost of acquiring him may be too much for a Bengals team that does not have the offensive line to compensate for Cousins’ lack of athletic upside.

Jameis Winston

In terms of players the Bengals could realistically acquire who may be an upgrade on Browning, there’s a strong case to be made that Winston is the standout.

The former first overall pick is behind Russell Wilson and rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart on the New York Giants’ depth chart and would relish the chance to play with a group of skill-position players as loaded as that of Cincinnati.

As is the case with Browning, Winston brings some high variance as the explosive plays he can produce have consistently come with the downside of turnovers during his career.

But Winston’s superiority over Browning as a thrower of the football and as an all-round quarterback could have the crucial benefit of raising the ceiling of the Bengals’ attack in Burrow’s absence. With the right ecosystem around him, Winston is a signal-caller who can help deliver consistent results, as his 5-2 record with Sean Payton’s New Orleans Saints in 2021 illustrated. 

He is a long way removed from that stint, but it would be no surprise if the Bengals backed head coach Zac Taylor and his staff top get the most out of Winston and made a trade that would likely not come at a high price.