HYATTSVILLE, Maryland –– The last time Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning was in the position he was in on Saturday, he played so poorly he thought he’d never get another shot to play in the NFL.
Browning’s last opportunity in a backup quarterback competition took place with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. He worked in the background for three years on their practice squad to make it a position battle, and Browning looked so shaky he didn’t think he’d get a call from another NFL team after the Vikings cut him.
But Bengals head coach Zac Taylor liked what he saw on Browning’s college film, so Taylor offered him a chance to be on the Bengals’ practice squad.