Has Ex-Husky Browning Reached End Of Football Line?

A dozen years ago, Jake Browning showed up at the University of Washington ready to play quarterback.

Really ready to play.

He became just the second freshman signal-caller in school history to start for the Huskies, joining Marques Tuiasosopo in this milestone, but the first do it at the very beginning of his career in Montlake.

For the next four years, he started every game except one -- missing only because of an injury -- and 53 outings in all.

Browning, 30, appeared in the College Football Playoff semifinals that doubled as the Peach Bowl, the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

On Sunday, the NFL summarily said good bye to Jake Browning, either temporarily or for good, when he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on cutdown day to 53-player rosters and left without a job, according to multiple news accounts.

It was a move made even more unforgiving because he was one of five ex-Huskies seeking a roster spot with that Florida franchise.

Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) prepares to take a snap during a snowy 2018 Apple Cup against WSU in Pullman. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bucs decided to go with an undrafted rookie in Jalon Daniels from Kansas as their back-up quarterback.

If he doesn't get picked up elsewhere and he's done, Browning walks away from the game reluctantly after getting a taste of the NFL and previously experiencing a five-course meal with the Huskies.

Over five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, the 6-foot-2, 209-pound quarterback appeared in 17 NFL games, starting 10, while compiling a 4-6 record. All of his regular-season snaps came with the Bengals as Joe Burrow's back-up or replacement.

Buccaneers quarterback Jake Browning (5) scrambles against the Kansas City Chiefs during their exhibition game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He initially spent time on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad for two seasons after he went undrafted.

At the UW, he completed 958 passes in 1,484 attempts for 12,296 yards and 94 touchdowns in 2015-18.

Sources: The #Bucs are releasing veteran QB Jake Browning. https://t.co/kj0ukve1eK pic.twitter.com/awHNjn8tl3
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 30, 2026

With the pros, he has 252 completions in 368 attempts for 2,707 yards and 18 scores.

Among his highlights, Browning led the Bengals to a pair of 2023 overtime victories, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 on Monday Night Football and the Minnesota Vikings, his old team, 27-24. He was named AFC Player of the Week for his performance against the Jags.

He also directed Cincy to a 31-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts and rushed for a game-winning score in a 31-27 win overJacksonville.

Browning was one of 40 former UW players plus a handful of others who transferred out and finished up elsewhere who were trying to survive the roster cutdown that concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. PT.

We'll have a story summarizing who made it and who didn't with Husky ties.

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