After losing star quarterback Joe Burrow to a toe injury, the Cincinnati Bengals reportedly added a pair of veteran signal-callers to shore up their depth at the position.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Bengals signed veteran backup quarterback Mike White to their practice squad, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that they did the same for longtime backup Sean Clifford.
Burrow injured his toe in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Schefter reported afterward that he will be required to undergo surgery that is expected to sideline him for a minimum of three months.
In Burrow’s absence, Bengals backup Jake Browning stepped in to lead the team to a 31-27 win over the Jaguars on Sunday. While it was just his 13th career game in his seven-year career, he’s been in Cincinnati since 2021, so his familiarity with the organization gives the team confidence he can be an effective starter while Burrow recovers.
“I feel very confident in Jake,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said after Sunday’s win, which pushed the team’s record to 2-0 for the first time since 2018. “I think Jake has proven his caliber in this league and he can help us win football games and contend for all the things that we want to contend for.”
Still, Browning was the only quarterback on Cincinnati’s active roster besides Burrow, making Tuesday’s additions a necessity. White spent the 2024 season with the Buffalo Bills but was released in August as part of their final roster cuts for the 2025 campaign. Clifford was with the Green Bay Packers for the last two years and was also released on roster cut-down day.
Despite being without Burrow, the Bengals will try to keep the momentum going when they meet the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3 on Sunday.
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