The Cincinnati Bengals might have some interesting options if they want to go sign a free agent or trade for a quarterback to push Jake Browning while Joe Burrow rehabs after surgery.
One of those could be Russell Wilson. Another name making the rounds, at least amongst fans online, is Jameis Winston.
A long shot, though, would be Atlanta Falcons backup Kirk Cousins.
While arguing that it would make sense for the Bengals to at least pick up the phone and call the Falcons, ESPN’s Dan Graziano said that based on what he’s hearing, the Bengals aren’t necessarily that hot on the idea of Cousins:
“I also didn’t get the sense last week that this was something Cincinnati would consider. I’m not sure they see the 2025 version of Cousins as a marked improvement over Browning, given their familiarity with Browning. But if they’re still holding onto hope that Burrow can come back toward the end of the season, and the mission is to keep things afloat until that happens, Browning must look a lot better than he did Sunday. Or else the Bengals will have to look at other options.”
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Bengals fans can get this sense without any reports, though, based on what the team got from Browning not too long ago when Burrow was hurt. They’ll keep trying offensive tweaks to make that happen again and already added two practice squad quarterbacks as depth.
As for Cousins, the $40 million cap hit in 2025 (adjustable while trading, but still) makes things tough. There’s also the matter of the Falcons not wanting to let him go, provided they need to go back to him as a starter.
The Bengals already partook in a game of backup quarterbacks in Week 3 during the 48-10 loss to Minnesota, which has already stressed the importance of backup passers this year. The price on those keeps climbing, hence someone like Winston seems quite a bit more likely than a Cousins, provided the Bengals shock and do anything at all.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL insider doesn’t think Bengals will go after Kirk Cousins-level QB
