Once Joe Burrow went down with a most severe turf toe injury in Week 2, the Cincinnati Bengals' 2025 season was effectively over. Yes, Burrow roared back to the gridiron faster than anyone anticipated, and the Bengals stayed competitive with Joe Flacco under center.
But unless Joe Brrr was present for at least 16-17 to offset the inefficacy of Cincinnati's defense, the playoffs were never a possibility.
Prior to Flacco's arrival from Cleveland in a trade, Jake Browning was handed the reins, hoping to replicate the magic he found in 2023. It all went horribly wrong. Now that Browning has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he's revealing what he learned from that adversity.
New Buccaneers QB Jake Browning gets brutally honest about 2025 season with Bengals
When Browning was recently introduced as Baker Mayfield's backup in Tampa, he didn't mince words, nor shy away from accountability, in assessing his performance this past year, via the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud:
"I stepped in and tried to play some hero ball. I played well in 2023 and I thought I was going to be the one to save us. I forced some throws, which was dumb, and trying to do too much was the big takeaway.”
Once Flacco landed in Cincy, it was clear the Bengals were moving on from Browning. They didn't give him the lowest restricted free agent tender this offseason, which led to him joining the Bucs.
In Browning's defense, he was playing "hero ball" with dreadful pass protection and zero running game to speak of. Chase Brown had 117 yards on 44 rushes (2.7 yards per carry) from Weeks 2 through 5 when Browning saw his most significant playing time. A pass protection breakdown in Week 2 was what led to Burrow's injury in the first place.
Combine all that with the poor play of the defense, and it's no wonder Browning was struggling so much. None of the teams he faced finished with losing records, either.
So look, Browning has had to scrap for any sliver of a chance to prove himself in the NFL. He's been waived and cast off many a time, yet has refused to give up. The Bucs could've done a lot worse in finding a viable backup for Mayfield, who's entering a contract year and has something of an uncertain future of his own.
It was just a shame to see what happened to Browning after his 2023 breakout, where he went 4-3 as a starter with two fourth-quarter comebacks and a 98.4 passer rating. He blew his chance at cementing his status as a starting-caliber QB, and cost himself millions of dollars in the process.
Still rooting for Jake from afar. He made that dark 2023 season a lot more competitive than it should've been.