The Cincinnati Bengals are in the midst of a two-game tailspin, and as is often the case, a lot of the blame is falling on the quarterback. Jake Browning is under the microscope more than any other backup in recent memory as he tries to keep the Bengals afloat without Joe Burrow.
Fans and analysts alike are wondering aloud whether Browning is the man to lead Cincinnati until Burrow's return. The big question is, will any QB be able to operate this scheme behind a porous offensive line with any superior efficacy?
Although the answer is unclear, one particular solution is being bandied about all across the Internet. And there may be some substance to the latest chatter.
Russell Wilson trade rumors intensify after Bengals' Week 4 Monday night calamity
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio has intel that Cincinnati has shown interest in acquiring New York Giants veteran Russell Wilson for an early Day 3 draft pick. Florio also asserts that Wilson's teammate, Jameis Winston, could be in the running to replace Browning.
The implication here is that both QBs have superior arm strength to Browning and could generate more explosive plays alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins:
"Last week, there was stray chatter of Wilson to the Bengals for a fifth-round pick. And while a deal for Wilson or Winston is possible, the current dynamic could be that neither side wants to make the first move. [...] Both Wilson and Winston have the arm strength to deliver the ball down the field to Chase and Higgins. Given Chase’s obvious frustrations from Monday night, he quite possibly would welcome a potential upgrade, given Burrow’s indefinite absence."
No question that Wilson has plenty of juice still left in his arm. Those rainbow deep balls he can launch downfield could open up a new element to the Bengals offense. Winston is a former No. 1 overall pick whose physical tools have never been doubted.
Let's not focus on Winston for purposes of this exercise, since there's specific trade compensation rumored around Wilson's prospective arrival in Cincinnati. Winston has never won anything of consequence in the NFL and puts the ball in harm's way far too often to be taken seriously.
Regarding Wilson, he does have the ideal experience and pedigree to step in as a short-term starter. Just one game before he was benched in New York for rookie first-rounder Jaxson Dart, Wilson lit up the Dallas Cowboys for 450 yards and three TDs. The man can still play.
But having to learn the playbook on the fly, and applying even more pressure on Browning until Wilson is ready to hit the field, sounds like a disaster scenario waiting to happen. A quarterback controversy with Russell Wilson at the center of it is the opposite of what the Bengals locker room needs.
Plus, Wilson is not the dynamic athlete he once was. The Bengals' porous offensive line would make him be a pure pocket passer who must get the ball out fast. That's never been Wilson's strong suit at any stage of his career.
To be more aggressive and attack secondaries with those Wilson patented moon balls, the o-line must hold up, and Cincinnati must keep defenses honest with a solid running game. They're incapable of accomplishing either of those objectives at the moment.
Russell Wilson is a bad fit for the Bengals. And at the rate they're burning through nothing-burger draft picks, I'd much rather see a trade for an offensive line starter or a realistic defensive contributor over a dubious stopgap QB.