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Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals suffered their second loss in four days, as the Baltimore Ravens took care of business at home with a 34-20 win to bounce back from their surprise loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Bengals dropped to 5-5, but that wasn't the worst thing that happened to them on Thursday Night Football.
Burrow, who came into the game with an alleged hand injury, tore a ligament in his wrist and is set to undergo surgery which will end his 2023 campaign. The Bengals had won five of their six games before suffering two straight losses and will now have to see the season out without their starting quarterback.
The Bengals currently have only one other quarterback on their roster. Four-year veteran Jake Browning, who filled in for Burrow after he exited the game in the second quarter, completed eight of his 14 pass attempts for 68 yards and rushed for 40 yards on four carries in Cincinnati's loss to Baltimore.
The Bengals will now have to look for a replacement for Burrow. There are a few free-agent quarterbacks that the team can sign. They can also trade for one, seeing how things have worked for Joshua Dobbs and the Minnesota Vikings. Here are three options they could pursue:
Joe Burrow injury replacement: 3 QBs Bengals could sign
Joe Flacco
Veteran quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco could provide short-term relief to the Bengals. He reportedly worked out for the Cleveland Browns as the Bengals' division rivals also sought an answer for their quarterback conundrum caused by Deshaun Watson's season-ending shoulder injury.
Flacco last played in the NFL during the 2022 season for the New York Jets. He featured in five games and threw for 1,051 passing yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions.
Trey Lance
The Bengals could pull the trigger and land a long-term option for their backup quarterback role by acquiring former third-overall pick Trey Lance. The young quarterback is buried on the Cowboys' depth chart behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
The Cowboys spent their 2024 fourth-round pick to acquire Lance from the San Francisco 49ers. The Bengals could have to pay a steeper price, probably a third-round pick, for a prospect who hasn't hit the heights he was expected to. It's a gamble, but it could pay off big for the Bengals.
Andy Dalton
Some Bengals fans on social media are already speculating about the possibility of the team bringing back franchise legend Andy Dalton. The 36-year-old quarterback, currently a mentor to Bryce Young and the backup quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, would likely entertain the possibility of a reunion with the franchise that drafted him into the league.
Dalton spent the first nine seasons of his NFL career in Cincinnati. Before leaving the Bengals in 2019, he threw for 31,594 passing yards and 204 passing touchdowns. The veteran quarterback has bounced around the league since leaving the Bengals. He has played for four teams in the past four seasons and has been relegated to a backup role.
Dalton is only 1,244 passing yards shy of Ken Anderson's passing yards record for the Bengals. The veteran quarterback will have to average only 178 passing yards to surpass the record if he starts and plays the Bengals' seven remaining games.
