Browning completed 19 of 27 passes for 140 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and rushed once for three yards in the Bengals' 48-10 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

The Vikings jumped on Browning and the Bengals early, establishing a 14-0 lead through one quarter, and the veteran backup was never able to get his side of the ball fully on track. Browning ultimately took three sacks and tossed a pair of picks in Minnesota territory, the first of which was a pick-six in the first quarter. Browning has demonstrated the ability to play appreciably better than he demonstrated Sunday in a game that got out of hand due largely to turnovers, but atoning for the poor performance in Week 4 could be a heavy lift with a road trip to Denver for a Monday night, Sept. 29 date with the Broncos on tap.

Browning appears set to take over as Cincinnati's starting quarterback for at least several weeks, with Joe Burrow (toe) slated to undergo surgery and expected to be facing a three-month recovery timetable, ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Browning played admirably in relief of Burrow during Sunday's 31-27 win over the Jaguars, completing 21 of 32 pass attempts for 241 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions and rushed in for a game-winning one-yard touchdown on his only carry. The presence of standout WR duo Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will assist Browning's efforts to produce while stepping up as Cincinnati's starter under center, beginning Week 3 against the Vikings, who may be without J.J. McCarthy (ankle). The Bengals currently have Brett Rypien on the practice squad but figure to add additional quarterback depth in the near future, so while Browning may face additional competition soon, he now becomes a priority add in fantasy formats that allow multiple signal-callers to be started.

Browning replaced an injured Joe Burrow (toe) in Sunday's comeback win over the Jaguars. He completed 21 passes on 32 attempts for 241 yards and two touchdowns and ran for the game-winning touchdown. He also threw three interceptions.

EDGE Analysis

Browning's interceptions were pretty rough, especially on the latter two throws. The Bengals will need him to tighten it up going forward as the schedule appears to be tougher. Burrow has torn toe ligaments and could be out several weeks, so the burden will likely fall to Browning in the near term.

Browning didn't throw a pass over three regular-season games in 2024. He rushed twice for minus-2 yards.

EDGE Analysis

A season-ending injury to Joe Burrow in Week 11 of 2023 gave Browning an opportunity for substantial playing time, but Burrow remained healthy throughout 2024, and Browning consequently spent almost the entire campaign on the bench. Browning signed a two-year contract with Cincinnati last April, so he's slated to work as Burrow's backup again next season.

Browning (ribs) was absent from the Bengals' injury report Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Browning suffered a rib injury in the Bengals' preseason opener against the Buccaneers, which caused him to miss the final two exhibition games. Now healthy, he'll be available to serve as Cincinnati's backup behind Joe Burrow for the regular-season opener against New England on Sunday.

Browning (ribs) won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Chicago, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Browning played in the preseason opener but threw for only 52 yards on 18 pass attempts, and he then missed practice this week with a rib injury sustained during the game. Coach Zac Taylor said he expects the QB to "miss some time" but didn't go into further detail.

Browning did not participate at practice Tuesday due to a rib injury he sustained during Saturday's preseason game versus the Buccaneers, Ben Baby of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

The exact severity of the issue is unclear, but Coach Zac Taylor said Tuesday that Browning would "miss some time." In his stead, Logan Woodside may see more opportunities to impress during drills.

Browning and the Bengals' second-team offense struggled in the preseason opener against the Bucs. Browning ended up completing 10 passes on 18 attempts for only 52 yards and an interception.

EDGE Analysis

Browning helmed seven drives against the Bucs, with only one lasting more than three plays, and that one ended in a missed field goal. It's only one preseason game, but Browning did not build off of last season's better-than-expected performance.

Browning signed a two-year contract with the Bengals on Tuesday.

EDGE Analysis

Undrafted back in 2019, the QB spent two years on Minnesota's practice squad and then two seasons on Cincinnati's. Browning finally got his shot in 2023, winning the No. 2 QB job for the Bengals and eventually replacing an injured Joe Burrow (wrist) for the final seven and a half games of the season. Browning played surprisingly well down the stretch, with 15 total TDs (three rushing) and seven turnovers (all INTs) while leading all qualified passers in completion percentage (70.4) and ranking fifth in yards per attempt (8.0). The 28-year-old's status as an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason essentially locked him into staying with the Bengals, and the two-year deal now sets him up to be a restricted free agent after 2025. His solid performance in 2023, combined with 2-3 more years of team control, could make Browning a trade target for QB-needy teams, though there haven't been rumblings of interest this spring.

The Bengals tendered exclusive rights free agent Browning on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Undrafted out of Washington in 2019, Browning made the first nine appearances of his NFL career last season, starting seven games following Joe Burrow's season-ending injury. Browning had the Bengals in playoff contention right up until the end of the season, finishing the year with a league-best 70.4 percent completion rate for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding 27-127-3 as a rusher. He's the favorite to open 2024 as Burrow's top backup.