The Cincinnati Bengals have made their decision as to who is going to be their backup quarterback... at least for now.
Trevor Siemian was released on Tuesday morning after a lackluster preseason, meaning that as of this writing, Jake Browning is going to be Joe Burrow's backup during the 2023 season. Props to Browning for putting in the work and coming out victorious but just because he's won the job as of now doesn't mean he'll hold onto it.
The Dallas Cowboys are a team to pay close attention to now when it comes to the backup quarterback situation. The 'Boys traded for former third overall pick Trey Lance on Friday and they're probably not doing that with the plan of stashing him on the practice squad.
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— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 25, 2023
The #Cowboys are in the process of completing a trade for former No. 3 overall pick #49ers QB Trey Lance, sources say. Lance gets a fresh start. pic.twitter.com/HKfBvMZjUm
With Lance in Big D, that means that Cooper Rush could become available. Back in free agency, Rush opted to return to Dallas but there were reports that he considered signing with Cincinnati. In 2022, Rush went 4-1 (with one of those wins coming against Cincy) as a starter and threw for over 1,000 yards and five touchdowns when Dak Prescott missed time with an injury.
Could Bengals trade for Cooper Rush?
Anything is possible, of course, but the Cowboys might opt to hold onto Rush. After all, Lance just joined their team a few days ago, and considering he didn't do enough to win the backup QB job in San Francisco, he probably hasn't done enough to win the backup QB job over the proven Rush.
With Trey Lance bound for the Cowboys, they are poised to keep three quarterbacks Tuesday on 53-man roster: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush and Lance. Will Grier to play most of Saturday’s exhibition, producing film for 31 other teams to evaluate.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 25, 2023
Maybe the Cowboys end up taking phone calls on Rush and get an offer they can't refuse but for now, don't be surprised if they hold onto all three quarterbacks. Will Grier could be someone that Bengals fans find themselves interested in and Grier actually could be acquired, as the 'Boys made it clear they'd be cutting him. He then went out and threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns in Dallas' preseason finale.
Sure, Grier could be an option but he hasn't played in an NFL game since 2019 when he was with the Panthers. At that point, it might be better to hang onto Browning than take another flier on an unknown quarterback. If the Bengals are without Burrow for an extended period of time, their season is shot anyway.