Bengals Roster: Realistic expectations for Trevor Siemian in 2023

Aug 13, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA;  Chicago Bears quarterback Trevor Siemian (15) against the
Aug 13, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Trevor Siemian (15) against the | Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals opted not to re-sign Brandon Allen this offseason, instead deciding to sign veteran journeyman Trevor Siemian to back up Joe Burrow.

Siemian, a seventh-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2015 NFL Draft, was on the Broncos' Super Bowl team as a rookie, backing up Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler. By the next year, he was the starting quarterback for the Broncos, starting 14 games.

In the 2017 season, Siemian appeared in 11 games but he'd never be leaned on much as a starter after that season. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings following that season but never appeared in a game for them.

Since that time, he's spent time with the New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, and most recently, the Chicago Bears. Now, he's a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

What should Bengals fans expect from Trevor Siemian in 2023?

The only three quarterbacks on the Bengals' roster are Burrow, Siemian, and Jake Browning, who has never appeared in a regular-season game. It feels likely that Siemian will win the backup job over Browning this summer but there will be a competition between the two. If Browning shows potential, perhaps the Bengals opt to go with the youngster over the journeyman backup.

If Siemian does win the backup job, the only times Bengals fans want to see him on the field is in blowouts or in a Week 18 game that is hopefully meaningless by then. We don't want to see Siemian in tight games because that means something happened to Burrow.

Over the last two years, Allen only appeared in seven games and threw just 37 passes with the majority of those coming in the final game of the 2021 season when Burrow didn't suit up. Hopefully, as was the case with Allen over the past two seasons, we don't see much of Siemian.

The good news, however, is that if Burrow does have to miss time, Siemian is capable of stepping in and leading the offense for a few games. It's never ideal to have a backup quarterback playing for more than a few games and that applies to Siemian. He can step in for a few games if need be, but if he's playing more than a handful of games, it wouldn't be a good thing.

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