The Cincinnati Bengals began training camp in just about the worst way a team could imagine.
During team drills, star quarterback Joe Burrow hobbled mid-play before being carted off the field. Head coach Zac Taylor later confirmed reports that the worst case-scenario was avoided, and it was just a calf strain for the former No. 1 overall pick. The positive news, of course, comes with the weight of knowing Burrow will still miss “several weeks” according to Taylor, which then leads to the question — who will fill in for Burrow in his absence?
Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning are the only other quarterbacks on the roster, and the natural belief would be that the Bengals look to upgrade should Burrow miss any regular season games. There are multiple options to pursue, and these are the most likely.
Carson Wentz
Insert “WoodyLaughingWhileWorldBurns.GIF.”
Personally, the Red State Rifle making his way to Cincinnati would make me chuckle, but in all seriousness, he is the best quarterback available. Unless the Bengals intend on taking Matt Ryan away from CBS to play for a month, or want to kick the tires on whatever is left of Joe Flacco, Wentz makes the most sense.
And yes, I’m aware “Wentz makes sense” sounds like a campaign slogan that Wentz would use to run for Senate in his quest to make coal prevalent, once again.
With Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd as his receiver corps, it would be hard for the former No. 2 overall pick to completely implode, though we’ve certainly seen him do it before.
Teddy Bridgewater
Bridgewater is the only other free agent that would make a lick of sense to bring in. He’s been a reliable backup everywhere he has gone. Whether it be filling in for Drew Brees in 2019 (and not losing a game, I may add), or being productive in Carolina and Denver, the former Louisville Cardinal is a steady hand to turn to in a time of need. The locker room would love him, and he would be a great No. 2 behind Burrow going forward.
Trey Lance
This is where the fantasy booking takes over, but my goodness could you imagine? Lance gets dealt, plays great football for a month in September, and all of a sudden, 49ers fans are putting their heads in the oven because they may have traded the most talented quarterback on their roster to pursue Jimmy Garoppolo 2.0.
While we still don’t have enough tape on Lance to know what he can be at the NFL level as he goes into his third (!) season, if he ends up being closer to his ceiling than his floor, this scenario would admittedly be hilarious. Especially if the Bengals were to send him to a team like Minnesota in 2024, and Lance ends up throwing darts to Justin Jefferson in an offense very similar to the ones Kyle Shanahan has brought to light.
