The sky is falling (again) in Cincinnati, as the Bengals might be 2-0 but quarterback Joe Burrow is now going to be out up to three months due to the need for surgery on his toe.
With Burrow out a while, it's pretty clear, right now, that Jake Browning is their guy. But, they obviously have to add another quarterback. Going after a younger guy might actually make sense, since Burrow's injuries have become such a painful reality.
One avenue fans might not think of is the idea of signing another team's practice squad quarterback. In this case, let's talk about rookie sixth-round pick Kyle McCord of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bengals could go sign Kyle McCord to back up Jake Browning with the potential for more
This is not at all saying McCord could become the team's franchise quarterback. However, if the Bengals are indeed confident that Browning can hold down the fort (and I think they are) then pursuing the likes of McCord makes sense with the future in mind.
This isn't a reality Bengals fans want to think about, but what happens if this is who Burrow is? What happens if he simply isn't a quarterback who can stay healthy for longer than just a season or two at a time?
There comes a point where the Bengals have to at least start thinking about backup plans (and backup plans to their backup plans). McCord could be a solid option.
He comes from a Syracuse offense that trusted him to attack through the air. The college offense he came from was a pro-style offense, which is a huge plus. He has the size at 6-foot-3 and loves to play with an attacking mindset.
McCord also threw for 4,779 yards and 34 touchdowns in his final collegiate season. That doesn't count for nothing.
He's still very raw as an NFL player, but what's the worst that could happen? If the Bengals have a chance to sign him, they should at least consider it.
Now, the Eagles have an opportunity to protect McCord from being signed by another team but they can only do that twice before they have to sign him to their active roster for good. So, the Bengals definitely have the opening.