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The Cincinnati Bengals had a meeting with Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton ahead of the NFL Draft.
Heading into the NFL Draft, a few things are clear for the Cincinnati Bengals. The first is that their primary need is going to come on the defensive side of the ball. The second is that the Bengals have their franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow.
Still, there’s always room for quarterback depth. That’s particularly true given the injuries that Burrow has dealt with in his career. Last season, he was only able to play in eight games, with Jake Browning and Joe Flacco filling in. Browning, meanwhile, has now left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So, it’s clear that having a reliable backup is going to be important, and the Bengals are taking that task seriously.
That includes, according to a recent report by Yahoo Sports, having a formal meeting with Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton. This comes a season after he led the Red Raiders to a Big 12 Championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Morton is, by most projections, not expected to be an early NFL Draft pick this year. In fact, on his most recent Big Board rankings, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. doesn’t even have him in his Top 10 quarterbacks available. Still, adding a veteran who consistently won in college in the late rounds could prove to be a smart move in the long term.
Cincinnati has been active in looking at quarterbacks projected to go around the third day of the NFL Draft. That includes also taking a look at Athan Kaliakmanis from Rutgers and Taylor Green from Arkansas.
Who is Behren Morton?
Behren Morton Texas Tech
GettyTexas Tech QB Behren Morton
Now 24 years old, Behren Morton is a native of Eastland, Texas, who would go on to spend his entire career with Texas Tech. That was after he landed there as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2021, according to On3.
Injuries would force Morton to become the team’s starter in his redshirt sophomore season. A similar pattern formed in 2023, his redshirt sophomore season, when he again became the starter following injuries. By 2024, he had become the team’s permanent starting quarterback.
2025 would prove to be Morton’s most successful season. He finished the year completing 66 percent of his passes for 2,780 yards and 22 touchdowns to six interceptions. That came in 12 games total.
As he turns his attention to the NFL, there are some concerns about his arm strength. On top of that, there are also concerns because he has a fairly extensive injury history in his own right. Still, he’s tough and experienced.
Former Bengals Player Hints At Possible Joe Burrow Departure
Joe Burrow Cincinnati Bengals
GettyCincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow
The 2025 season was a difficult one for both Cincinnati and Joe Burrow. That left some tension by the end of the year, and former Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers star James Harrison now says that there’s a chance that Burrow could be on the move. In particular, he was actually recruiting him to the Steelers.
“I’ve been conversating with him (Joe Burrow) here on a weekly, bi-weekly basis. We’ve been having conversations. I talked to him on the phone yesterday,” Harrison said on the Deebo and Joe Podcast. “We’ve been talking about him. He’s going to go up there and talk to Mr. Brown to see what he needs to do to do whatever he needs to do to maybe get into some black and gold.”
Obviously, there’s a need for a franchise quarterback in Pittsburgh, but seeing Burrow take on that role would be difficult for Cincinnati fans. At least, for the time being, it’s all talk. Burrow is a Bengal, and the focus should be on making him want to stay one.