The Cincinnati Bengals’ season may very well be over after shedding star quarterback Joe Burrow to harm, says Sky Sports activities NFL’s Jeff Reinebold.
Burrow is predicted to bear surgical procedure and miss a minimum of three months after struggling a turf toe harm in the course of the second quarter of Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 28-year-old was changed by back-up Jake Browning, who threw for 241 yards, two scores and three interceptions earlier than dashing for a decisive one-yard landing within the closing phases.
The victory leaves the Bengals 2-0 for the primary time since 2018, however at an infinite value.
“He isn’t Burrow and never will be,” mentioned Reinebold of Browning on Contained in the Huddle. “The issue is, and it is a lesson for lots of groups, the Bengals pushed all their chips to the center of the desk offensively.
“You signal your huge receivers (Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins) and quarterback to very large cash, you half with Joe Mixon since you wished to place these assets into the receivers, and you do not exit and get a back-up quarterback who a minimum of at one time was a starter within the league.
“A Jameis Winston, a Marcus Mariota, those types of guys that can be a bridge guy when somebody goes out hurt.
I’m not knocking Jake Browning, he doesn’t have the experience the other veterans who are more expensive have, and they have to live with that.”
Burrow notably suffered a torn ACL throughout his rookie marketing campaign earlier than seeing his season ended by a wrist harm throughout 2023.
Browning went 4-3 as starter after stepping in to switch Burrow in 2023, retaining Cincinnati’s offense afloat however seeing the crew fail to achieve the playoffs whereas ending backside of the AFC North.
“They built this team to win throwing the football, they are not built to become a ball control, take time off the clock team,” Reinebold continued.
“I am really worried for Cincinnati and what we have heard is that it’s a surgery that would require up to three months out.
“You possibly can kiss the season goodbye.”
The Bengals had been made to pay for a gradual begin to the 2024 marketing campaign, a five-game profitable streak to complete the common season proving irrelevant within the wake of their 4-8 document in the beginning of December.
Burrow entered the season having simply led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns, with star receiver Ja’Marr Chase clinching the triple crown of catches, yards and landing receptions for one of many league’s most explosive passing assaults.
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Sky Sports activities NFL presenter Neil Reynolds believes the Bengals might have to hunt a alternative for Burrow if they’re to maintain their playoff ambitions intact.
“Jameis Winston is going to be a rollercoaster but has started a lot of games and is gathering dust on the bench in New York,” mentioned Reynolds.
“Kirk Cousins is out there, potentially you might have to pay Atlanta a lot to get Cousins out. The Bengals may have to address that quarterback situation.”
Cousins is at present serving because the back-up quarterback in Atlanta after shedding his beginning spot to Michael Penix Jr final season.
The 37-year-old signed a four-year $180m with the Falcons simply final yr, with Atlanta having reportedly been in search of any potential suitors this offseason to tackle $20m of his deal.
Browning is now anticipated to start out at quarterback for the Bengals after they face the Minnesota Vikings subsequent weekend.
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