The Cincinnati Bengals face a three-month absence from quarterback Joe Burrow after he suffered a toe injury in Sunday’s 31-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team is now exploring options to bolster their quarterback depth, with Giants backup Jameis Winston emerging as a potential trade target.
Burrow was diagnosed with turf toe and will require surgery, according to multiple reports Monday. The injury occurred in the second quarter, forcing him to exit the game with Jake Browning taking over under center.
During Monday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” co-host Molly Qerim asked NFL insider Adam Schefter if Winston or even Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins could be players that the Bengals would try to target in a trade.
“You could do that, and they will bring in another quarterback, but they’re not bringing in another guy to supplant Jake Browning,” Schefter said. “Jake Browning will be the guy. They’ve been through this before. When Burrow suffered that wrist injury, they rode Jake Browning. Jake Browning has all kinds of passing records in high school in the state of California. Jake Browning has got some tremendous accomplishments.”
Schefter added that no matter whom the Bengals have to replace Burrow, it will still change the complexion of their offense.
“They’re going to have to make do the way that any other organization would make do if and when you lose your starting quarterback,” Schefter said. “They don’t grow these starting quarterbacks on trees. It’s not like you just go pluck one off there, plug them into the lineup, and think that you’re going to continue on. You lose an elite player like Joe Burrow, you suffer the consequence.”
Winston signed a two-year deal with the Giants this offseason, but it was determined early on that his role would be as a backup, with Russell Wilson coming in as the starter and rookie first-round draft pick Jaxson Dart taking over at some point.
Meanwhile, Browning has shown that he can be a capable stand-in for Burrow. He finished Sunday’s game completing 21 of his 32 passes (65.6%) for 231 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also scored the game-winning touchdown with a quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter. Browning started seven games for the Bengals in 2023, compiling a 4-3 record while completing 70.4% of his passes for 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The injury represents another setback for Burrow, who missed significant time in 2023 due to a wrist injury but returned to win his second Comeback Player of the Year award in 2024.
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