The 2025 NFL season is throwing back-to-back challenges for the Cincinnati Bengals. Although they started on a good note and won two games, their star QB, Joe Burrow, was soon sidelined due to a Grade 3 turf toe injury. And when Jake Browning took his place, things got worse. The Bengals, who were sitting at 2-0, ended up with two losses and now are sitting at 2-2 with Jake Browning. But it wasn’t just the losses that questioned Browning’s credibility; it was also a humiliating defeat. 

In the week 4 game against the Denver Broncos, the Bengals suffered a devastating 28−3 loss. It was a huge blow for the Bengals, a team that was looking promising early in the season. And after Jake Browning’s shaky start, soon questions regarding replacing him flared up in the NFL. And one of the most prominent names that came up was the Giants’ Russell Wilson. However, Bengals HC Zac Taylor put all such speculations to rest, and now sources indicate that the Bengals are not interested in trade talks. 

Last week, HC Zay Taylor confirmed that Jake Browning is their guy and said, “I have a ton of confidence in Jake. I’m unwavering in that.” Now, new updates confirm Zac Taylor’s statement this week as well. According to sources, the Bengals have not engaged in any trade talks to sign a veteran starter, not with the Giants for Russell Wilson or the Falcons for Kirk Cousins.

Although Jake Browning has been spectacular in the last season, his performance after stepping in for the injured Jow Burrow has been questionable. In the last game,  Browning went for 14-for-25 (56 %) for 125 passing yards without any TDs or interceptions. Over the season, he has thrown for 506 yards, with 3 TDs. He even had 5 interceptions on 84 attempts, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt. All these stats, along with two consecutive losses, brought suggestions to trade Russel Wilson and replace Jake Browning with him. But why Russell Wilson?

Wilson’s name popped up as a replacement for Jake Browning in the first place because of his current situation with the Giants. He was benched in favour of rookie QB Jaxson Dart. This made Wilson a strong trade candidate to leave before the deadline on Nov. 4, a target of a QB-needy team. And after Jake Browning’s blunders in two games, Wilson looked like a perfect fit. However, all those speculations have been laid to rest by Zac Taylor, and now Wilson will move forward with the team to face a big challenge. 

Jake Browning has a bigger challenge ahead

The Bengals might have decided to move further in the season with Jake Browning, but they will be dealing with their toughest test of the season against the Detroit Lions. It will be interesting to see how Jake Browning lives up to the vote of confidence Zac Taylor has shown in him. Especially against a strong team like the Detroit Lions, who have lost just one game and are currently sitting at third position in league standings. Jake Browning will be dealing with a team that thrives on strong defense. 

Lions have been very effective at sacking the QBs of the opposing team. They have 14 total sacks, which is the second-best in this NFL season. They also have a deep and dangerous pass-rushing game, which is not dependent on one player. Eight different players on the Lions have recorded at least one sack. 

On the other side, Browning has been struggling with sacks. He already has 6 sacks in three games, 3 of them coming off the last game against the Denver Broncos. Jake Browning will have to change the stats against the Lions; otherwise, he might lose Zac Taylor’s favor soon.