The trade buzz around Kirk Cousins has been quiet, and for good reason: the Bengals appear content with Jake Browning. According to Ian Rapoport, Cincinnati is keeping faith with the 2024 signee after a promising start; Browning is 21-of-32 for 241 yards this season, enough to blunt calls for a blockbuster QB move.
The Cincinnati coaching staff also views Jake as the best Backup quarterback after Burrow for the team in the NFL. The situation might have been different if Kirk were a contender for the QB position in 2024. But looking at the current stats as per Fantasypros.com and this week’s QB position ranking, Kirk stands at a rank of #43, while Jake Browning closes the door for him by standing at a QB rank of #20. The contract with Jake will expire after the 2025-26 season as the Bengals await Joe Burrow to take over the position.
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The Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders are dealing with injuries to their starting quarterbacks, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels. Other teams are also in flux with their quarterback rooms, including the Minnesota Vikings (J.J. McCarthy) and the New York Jets (Justin Fields). The Commanders, meanwhile, have a high chance of their QB, Jayden Daniels, returning soon. So, irrespective of high uncertainty, why aren’t the rest of the teams wanting to bring in Kirk Cousins as their QB?
An NFL Insider, Dianna Russini, recently provided a reason on the “Scoop City” podcast with James Palmer, She said, “From what I can gather, the Atlanta Falcons are not trying to move him at this moment,” Russini added, “Cousin’s massive contract is a big reason why, unless a team comes in and offers to pay that for a trade.”
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Cousins has signed a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons worth $180 million in free agency, including $100 million in guarantees. So if Cousin were to be traded to a new team now, he would have a dead cap of $37,5 million, which the Falcons are not willing to accept.
Cincinnati Bengals await their QB as updates come up on his injury
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will not be playing in the Week 3 game against the Minnesota Vikings. He has been placed on the Injured Reserve list due to a turf toe injury. Although this type of injury is not always severe, Burrow’s is believed to be a Grade 3 injury, meaning his ligaments are completely torn. This will keep him off the field for a significant amount of time.
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Joe Burrow underwent successful surgery last Friday after sustaining the injury during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars during week 2. Even though the surgery is complete, he is expected to be out for the next couple of months before he can return to play. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported earlier this week, Burrow’s procedure is expected to sideline him for a minimum of three months. Rapoport also talked about his recovery span, saying, “As far as what is next for Burrow, my understanding is that because of the surgery, he cannot travel for the next two weeks, so [he is] not going to be physically with the team. He is out a minimum of 12 weeks, but he does, in fact, have a chance to return [this season].”
While backup quarterback Jake Browning has done an excellent job, the Bengals’ on-field coordination with Burrow is on a different level. The team has recorded two wins in both of his two weeks matches. The team’s synergy is part of what makes Joe a top-five quarterback when he is healthy. But having Browning take over since the game from the beginning in week 3, the game will be an interesting one to watch. Bengals fans can expect Burrow to return to the field sometime around mid-December.