The Cincinnati Bengals’ choice to hand the starting quarterback reins to Jake Browning following Joe Burrow’s Week 2 injury has faced mounting criticism.

It wasn’t Browning’s performance in Week 2 that turned heads. But the Week 3 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings—where the Bengals managed just 10 points while Minnesota poured in 48—that truly magnified concerns.

Sacked thrice. Picked twice. Scored once. That was only in the last game. So far in 2 games Browning has 5 INTs to just 3 TDs.

While Browning led the team to a victory last week, it was also against the Browns. That’s where ESPN’s Dan Graziano laid out his verdict.

“It never hurts to ask, right? Cousins wants out of Atlanta, where he signed a four-year contract in the spring of 2024 but was relegated to backup duty by the end of his first season there. I think the Falcons would take the call, but I still think it would cost a lot to pry Cousins out of there.”

He wants Cincy to imagine Cousins behind JB.

But with pinch of salt.

“I’m not sure they see the 2025 version of Cousins as a marked improvement over Browning, given their familiarity with Browning. But if they’re still holding onto hope that Burrow can come back toward the end of the season, and the mission is to keep things afloat until that happens, Browning must look a lot better than he did Sunday. Or else the Bengals will have to look at other options.”

The Bengals and other teams grappling with injured starting quarterbacks have largely steered clear of pursuing a trade for Kirk Cousins.

Mainly, it was due to the financial burden he carries with the Falcons.

Cousins’ four-year, $180 million deal, loaded with guaranteed money, makes it tough for teams to fit his salary under the cap without the Falcons taking on a significant portion.

While his 2024 stats—3,508 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and an 88.6 passer rating—paint a mixed picture. Dan also suggests that this is not an out and out verdict.

Browning, in the fold since 2023, knows the Bengals’ system inside out. But he must keep the team afloat until Joe Burrow returns, though improving his own game will be key if the team hopes to salvage the season.

Jake Browning shares his takeaway after the Bengals’ loss to the Vikings

Considering Week 3’s performance, it wasn’t solely Browning’s fault, even though one can say that he was the larger part of the problem.

But the whole team struggled.

Browning said during a press conference, “I think when you have that many turnovers in the first half, you’re going to play from behind the whole game, and we just never really got into a rhythm, and they stuck it to us today.” He added, “That was bad.”

Browning has etched his name in the history books, though not in the way he would have hoped.

Isaiah Rodgers’ 87-yard pick-six, combined with a fumble recovery touchdown and two forced fumbles, made him the first Vikings player to score multiple defensive touchdowns in a single game.

Plus, he also became the first NFL player ever to record an interception return for a touchdown, a fumble return touchdown, and two forced fumbles in one contest.

Browning, however, refused to let the Week 3 collapse define him. “There are a lot of things on offense that didn’t go well. And for me, it’s really focusing on what my role was in that and what I need to do to get better. And collectively as a group, we got to respond,” he said.

He emphasized refining his decision-making under pressure to avoid turnovers, knowing the Bengals must move past this game to take on the Denver Broncos next Monday and salvage their season.