NFL Insider Notes Bengals 'Still Believe In Jake Browning,' Brings Up Retired Passer As Possible Addition

The QB play can't be this bad for 13 more games.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) is sacked by Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 4 Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. The Bengals fell to 2-2 with a 28-3 loss to the Broncos. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are in a rough spot with the quarterback position after back-to-back horrific outings by Jake Browning to open his second run as the Bengals' starter. 

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler doesn't think they will trade for any QB help this week or maybe at all, but he did bring up a recently retired passer who's been consistently average for the past few years: Derek Carr.

"That question reminds me that quarterback needs can change in a hurry -- especially after what the Bengals just showed Monday night," Fowler wrote. "Got to wonder if Cincinnati evaluates quarterback options if the downward spiral deepens. After Monday night's lifeless outing, Cincinnati has now gained fewer than 200 offensive yards in three of its first four games. The last team to do that was the 2009 Raiders, who rolled out a combination of JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski, and Charlie Frye at quarterback.

"The Bengals still believe in Jake Browning, who was far from the only culprit in Denver on Monday, but Cincinnati has too much skill position talent to accept the status quo. At some point, it could need reinforcements at the game's most important position. It might be worth calling up recently retired Derek Carr to check on how his shoulder injury is healing."

Carr is the move to make if he is willing to come out of retirement and is healthy. He would cost zero draft capital that Cincinnati desperately needs, amidst all the money going to the offense, and has shown to be more consistent of late than Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston.

Carr has posted a 57-plus ESPN QBR in six consecutive seasons and played with much worse weapons in New Orleans over the past few years (57 QBR would be 19th in the NFL this season). That being said, no quarterback outside the top 10 is going to succeed behind this level of offensive line play, but there are basically zero options to try and improve that unit now.

Carr may be the only way to raise the offensive consistency; until then, it's on Browning to turn around his play and show more of his 2023 impact ability.

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and watch the video below as part of our in-depth coverage of the team. Prefer to listen? Check out Cincinnati Bengals Talk on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Podcasts.

Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, insight, film breakdowns and so much more!

Also, check out the podcast, Locked On Bengals, wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple: bit.ly/BengalsApple

Spotify: bit.ly/BengalsSpotify

YouTube: bit.ly/LOBengalsYouTube

-----

Follow us on X: @BengalsTalkSI

Like Our Facebook Page

Follow on TikTok