Cincinnati Bengals Meet With Potential New Joe Burrow Backup Option Ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

The Bengals have Joe Flacco and Josh Johnson backing up Joe Burrow at quarterback this offseason, but those veterans are in their final NFL days. Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo met with Syracuse quarterback Luke Altmyer this week, and he noted a pre-draft meeting with the Bengals, potentially setting up a youth injection for that position.

According to the Mock Draft Database's consensus big board, Altmyer is ranked 240th overall and 10th among quarterbacks.

Bengals Meeting

Indiana's Isaiah Jones (46) sacks Illinois' Luke Altmeyer (9) during the Indiana versus Illinois football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I’ve definitely been very busy," Altmyer said to Melo recently. "I’ve met with the Las Vegas Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, and Indianapolis Colts. Those have been the most recent virtual meetings. All of them were fairly in-depth. I’ve also spent some time talking with the Baltimore Ravens lately. I’ve been very busy. These teams are getting ready to make their NFL Draft decisions. I’ve just been trying to do my part."

The 2025 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten player posted a school record in career completion percentage (64.4%) at Illinois. The veteran started all 13 games this past season, going 246-of-365 for 3,007 yards, 22 TDs, and five INTs passing, while adding 100 carries for 242 yards and five TDs rushing.

Taking care of the ball is priority No. 1 for backup quarterbacks, and Altmyer clearly did that well. It could translate to some fill-in success with Cincinnati if they select him in the sixth or seventh round.

"It’s all about making the right play," Altmyer told Melo. "It’s a down-to-down thing, a situational basis. At the same time, I have a lot of trust in my arm. I believe I can make every throw on the field. I believe I’m very gifted from an arm talent standpoint. I also understand when it’s situationally smart to take your checkdown. I know when to push the ball down the field and take those risks with the ball. You have to balance the risk factor with situational football.

"I have a lot of trust and believe in myself in those moments. I trust my teammates and their understanding of the situation as well. We have to be smart with our decision-making. You gotta know when to push it down the field and when to take those risks."

Check out the full chat with the latest player on the Bengals' radar here.

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