With Joe Burrow’s status still uncertain this week, the Bengals have decided to add QB insurance. On Friday, the team announced that it had added Reid Sinnett to its practice squad. To further strengthen the quarterback depth, the club also added veteran AJ McCarron to the practice squad, according to NFL Media.
The signing means the Bengals now have a total of four quarterbacks on their roster: Burrow, Jake Browning, Sinnett and McCarron. Signing Sinnett makes sense since he is somewhat familiar with the Bengals’ offense after spending all of training camp with them. The 26-year-old was signed at the end of July before being released at the end of August. The same goes for McCarron, who played for the Bengals from 2014 to 2017. Although this is a different regime than when he was with the organization, he is familiar with the franchise and has four career starts in the NFL.
Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters Saturday that Burrow is officially listed as questionable for Monday’s game, saying “we’ll see” when asked if he would play. Taylor also added that it was “doubtful” Burrow would dress for the game and be active if he wasn’t in the starting lineup.
If Burrow is unable to play against the Rams on Monday, Browning will still take over the starting position and Sinnett or McCarron will serve as his replacement.
The Bengals were forced to sign a quarterback on Friday after the Patriots poached Will Grier from their practice squad. Grier had been the third QB on Cincinnati’s roster, but after he signed with New England, the Bengals were down to two quarterbacks, putting them in a precarious position, especially given Burrow’s current health.
Although Burrow seemed confident he would play, he admitted this week that the final decision on his status may not be his.
“That may not be my decision,” Burrow said. “My job is to go out and play. I’m preparing for that. I prepare like I’m going out and playing a Monday Night Football game. I don’t know if that will happen,” but I will be prepared for it.
After missing a month of training camp with a calf injury he suffered in late July, Burrow returned in Week 1, only to aggravate the injury in a Week 2 loss to the Ravens. Burrow’s calf isn’t going to get better if he keeps playing it, which is why this is such a difficult task for the Bengals.