Former Vikings QB Gets Contract with Bengals
Josh Frey
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Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly missed out on the playoffs, going 9-8.
A major reason behind that was the injury to Joe Burrow that ended their franchise QB’s season. However, their backup, a former Vikings QB named Jake Browning, did his absolute best to keep the team afloat down the stretch of the year.
As a result, Browning has now received a new contract with the Bengals, and he will remain in Cincinnati for the next two years.
Former Vikings QB Re-Signs with Bengals
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the news, tweeting, “Bengals re-signed exclusive rights QB Jake Browning to a two-year contract through the 2025 season.”
Browning, 28, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent back in 2019 after a strong career with the Washington Huskies. Over his four seasons at Washington, he threw for 12,296 yards, 94 TDs, and 34 INTs in 53 games.
Following that collegiate career, Browning got his first chance in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings as he signed with the team for the 2019 season to serve in a backup role to Kirk Cousins. He spent the season on the practice squad before re-upping with Minnesota in 2020.
However, Browning would not appear in a regular season game for the Vikings, and in 2021, he joined the Cincinnati Bengals where he has remained ever since.
Browning’s first two seasons in Cincinnati were spent in similar fashion to the two years he was in Minnesota. The QB did not appear in any games during the 2021 or 2022 seasons as he was buried on the depth chart behind Joe Burrow and Brandon Allen.
That would all change in 2023, though. Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens, and Browning stepped in as the starter for the final seven games of the season. Browning went on to perform incredibly down the stretch, including a comeback win over the Vikings.
In total, Browning completed 70.4% of his passes for 1936 yards, 12 TDs, and seven interceptions as the Bengals went 4-3 with him at the helm. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, their 9-8 record was not enough to make the playoffs in an AFC North that sent every other team (Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh) into the playoffs.
Still, a successful season for Browning means he gets another new contract to remain with the Bengals.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference and Sports Reference CFB.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.