Breaking down what the Will Grier signing means for the Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are fortunate to have a franchise quarterback. This summer, however, they learned how important it is to have a solid backup quarterback.

Neither Jake Browning nor Trevor Siemian looked the part of a reliable backup during the course of the preseason but Browning won the job. Siemian was released and Browning is expected to be the backup behind Burrow.

On Wednesday morning, however, the Bengals signed former Panthers and Cowboys third-stringer Will Grier to their practice squad. What does this mean for the backup quarterback situation?

Bengals sign Will Grier to practice squad

Truthfully, don't expect to see Grier win the QB2 job over Browning. He might have had a solid preseason finale in Dallas but Browning was with the team throughout the summer and should get the first look as Burrow's backup.

While Grier's preseason production was electric, it's worth noting that his NFL career to this point hasn't been all that great. He hasn't played since 2019 when he was with the Panthers and started two games. He threw zero touchdowns and four picks during those two starts.

Perhaps the Bengals brought Grier on as a future investment backup option. Let Browning sit behind Burrow this year but keep Grier around so that he gets to learn from both signal-callers.

Should Burrow end up getting injured or having to miss time for some unfortunate reason, the Bengals could eventually have a dependable backup to fill in for him.

Yes, the Bengals' season isn't going to be the same if Burrow goes down, but as we saw in last year's playoffs during the Chiefs/Jaguars game, if the quarterback has to leave for even a series, a dependable backup quarterback can be the difference between advancing and watching the next round from home.

This was a popular move amongst the fans for the Bengals so now we'll see if it turns into anything.