Zac Taylor teases Bengals may be more inclined to draft a critical position for the first time since 2020
Cincinnati has its starting quarterback, but what about a backup for Joe Burrow?
The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t drafted a quarterback since selecting Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Six years later, Cincinnati could be in the market for another young QB to develop behind Burrow.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed to media members Tuesday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine the team will be scouting this year’s rookie quarterback class a bit more compared to recent years.
“I think that’s fair to say,” Taylor said. “You know, obviously Joe Flacco will be a free agent, and so we’ve got to evaluate everybody that’s that’s out there. And I don’t know where to fall. I don’t know what are falling free agency or the draft, but certainly something we’re going to be paying attention to.”
Bengals facing unknowns at backup quarterback
Taylor and Cincy need to explore all options at backup QB this offseason for a multitude of reasons. Both Jake Browning and Joe Flacco are set to be free agents in March. Browning is not expected to return after his subpar three-start stint playing for Burrow in 2025, but the Bengals are expected to push for retaining Flacco after he shined in six starts following a rare midseason trade.
Flacco would be an ideal backup behind Burrow, but the former Super Bowl MVP wants to keep starting and can’t do that for Cincinnati so long as Burrow is healthy. He’ll have options among other clubs without highly-paid starters in place.
The one downside to re-signing Flacco is he’s most definitely a short-term solution. He’s 41 years old and can’t be counted on to play more than just a year-to-year basis at this point. He couldn’t even make it through six starts last season without dealing with injury.
Drafting a QB with a late-round pick to place behind Burrow would give the Bengals a backup for the next four years, and they are due for that sort of investment. Browning bought them time after he won the job as a 28-year old in 2023. Before him, Ryan Finley and Brandon Allen were the guys holding the proverbial clipboard for Burrow.
Burrow will be turning 30 years old this December. He’s undoubtedly got many years left in him, but he’s at a point in his career where he can help develop a younger player behind him. Burrow himself has experienced injury problems over the course of his career and has missed a combined 16 games since 2023. The only reason Flacco became a Bengal in the first place is because Cincinnati realized it did not have a capable backup once Browning proved incapable of replicating his 2023 showing.
The Bengals have four picks between Round 6 and Round 7 in April’s draft. Those picks rarely turn into roster-worthy players, but a QB could have a great chance at cracking this year’s 53 and beyond. If a reunion with Flacco falls through, Cincinnati may just call a QB’s name for the first time since the start of the decade.
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