The Cincinnati Bengals were put in a bad spot when Joe Burrow was deemed out for three months. For most teams, not having your starting quarterback is a tough blow but for the Bengals, it's an even bigger blow. Burrow is a top three quarterback in the NFL and without him, the Bengals are not the same threat they are with Joey B on the field taking the snaps.
While Bengals fans felt okay about Jake Browning taking over due to what he did in Burrow's absence in 2023, it didn't go so well in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. Browning started off the game on a rough note, throwing a pick-six to Isaiah Rodgers on the Bengals' second drive of the day. That pick-six gave the Vikings a 14-0 lead and it only got worse throughout the day.
Jake Browning is picked off by Isaiah Rodgers for a @Vikings Pick-6!
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
CINvsMIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/4N3OaMpxdA
Browning threw another interception in the third quarter that set the Vikings up with good field position and allowed them to score another touchdown. That gave Minnesota a 48-3 lead and any hope of winning the game at that point was completely gone.
It took one game for the Bengals to realize Jake Browning won't cut it at QB
The good news here is that there's still time for the Bengals to make a move at quarterback if that's the route they want to go. The team has previously seemed to be content with sticking with Browning and while it's only one game, they might want to change their tune now. Browning did not look like the same guy who tore things up for the Bengals in 2023, throwing two really bad picks and not even having 100 yards passing in the fourth quarter.
The trade deadline isn't until early November so that gives Cincinnati plenty of time to decide if it wants to trade for a guy like Kirk Cousins, who can keep this team afloat until Burrow potentially can return to the lineup. Burrow isn't done for the year but if the Bengals aren't in the playoff picture when he's able to come back, then there won't be a point in bringing him back. That's why adding someone like Cousins could make all the difference for the Bengals.
This team is fortunate enough to have talents like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins but if a guy can't get them the ball, then what's the point? Cousins would be able to make this offense dangerous again and after seeing Browning stink it up in his first start of the 2025 season, the Bengals might need to make a decision here quickly or this season could go in the tank.