Jake

Browning

It’s easy to say “why?” and harder to say “why?” when the current backup quarterback on Tampa’s roster is 2025 UDFA Connor Bazelak. Browning has at least thrown well in NFL games before and is only entering his age-30 season. What he did last year wasn’t good enough, of course, but he’ll compete to hold the clipboard for the Bucs.

Browning split his first five years in the NFL between the Vikings and Bengals’ practice squads. He finally won the backup job in Cincy in 2023 and went on to throw for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while making seven starts in place of an injured Joe Burrow. He signed a two-year deal with the Bengals after the season. Browning took over as the starter in 2025 after Burrow went down with a foot injury. Things did not go as smoothly this time around and he was eventually benched for Joe Flacco, whom the Bengals had to acquire via trade. Though the Bengals threw in the towel on Browning, another team will see his 2023 tape and give him a shot to win their QB2 job in camp.

Browning took over for an injured Joe Burrow early in the year but was an utter disaster. The Bengals eventually had enough and traded for Joe Flacco, who remained the starter until Burrow returned from his turf toe injury. Browning is a restricted free agent at the end of the year, meaning the Bengals could keep him around on a team-friendly deal if they want to give him another shot at the QB2 gig.

Flacco had been listed as questionable to face the Bears after sustaining a shoulder injury last week against the Jets. He’ll play through the injury against a soft Chicago defense, but presents a very real in-game injury risk. The fantasy prospects of every Bengals player rely on Flacco being under center for the pass-heavy Cincinnati offense. Bengals declared CB Marco Wilson, LB Logan Wilson, OL Dalton Risner, WR Jermaine Burton, TE Cam Grandy, and DE Trey Hendrickson (hip) inactive against Chicago. With Hendrickson out, the Bengals defense presents an even better matchup for Caleb Williams and the Bears.

Flacco has talked a good game the last few days, leading us to believe the Bengals’ quarterback is on the optimistic side of questionable. But the Bengals also signed Sean Clifford to their active roster, leaving us to believe there’s still some question on if Flacco will indeed be ready to go. If Flacco is declared out, starting duties would likely fall to Jake Browning again.

Flacco didn’t say if he expected to play in Sunday’s game, but that was clearly the vibe the veteran signal-caller was giving off on Friday when speaking with the media. Flacco and the Bengals plan to test his shoulder before ultimately deciding on his availability, but it sounds like he should be good to go in a plus matchup against the Bears barring any setbacks.

Flacco is dealing with an AC joint sprain, per Rapoport. He sustained the injury late in the Bengals’ Week 8 loss against the Jets and could miss this week’s game against the Bears. That would force Jake Browning back under center for the Bengals, a huge hit to the fantasy prospects of every Cincy pass catcher, including Ja’Marr Chase. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on Flacco’s Thursday and Friday practice status.

Browning was doomed to a QB2 role once the Bengals traded for Joe Flacco earlier this week. He had eight interceptions in less than four full games this year. The Bengals were 0-3 with Browning at the helm. They were out-scored 37-113 in his three starts. Flacco has also struggled to start the year, but he should at least give the Bengals a higher weekly floor.

It’s a bold strategy. Let’s see it it works. The Bengals on Tuesday acquired Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick from the Browns in exchange for a 2026 fifth round draft pick. The Bengals are apparently pulling the plug on Jake Browning after three of the worst quarterback performances in recent memory. They’re replacing Browning — whose chance of landing a starting job in the NFL surely vanished over the past month — with Flacco, the NFL’s worst starting QB this season. Flacco in four games with the Browns ranked dead last in adjusted yards per attempt (3.6), second to last in touchdown rate (1.2 percent), and second to last in completion rate (58 percent). Rapoport said the hope is Flacco can keep the Bengals afloat until Burrow is ready to return to the field. It’s a long shot, at best.

Flacco may help steady fantasy values for Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but it’s not like the Bengals have a significantly better offensive line than the Browns. They may, in fact, have a worse running game. Flacco jumps in to the superflex QB2 consideration zone while Chase and Higgins don’t take an appreciable step forward, but perhaps grab a little extra floor. This is a patch job for the Bengals, who simply couldn’t keep giving snaps to Jake Browning after his disastrous showings and lack of confidence the last few weeks. Browning is a drop in all leagues.