Bengals add veteran QBs to practice squad after Joe Burrow placed on injured reserve
Cincinnati promotes Brett Rypien as Jake Browning steps in; Mike White and Sean Clifford added to bolster depth
The Cincinnati Bengals placed quarterback Joe Burrow on injured reserve on Tuesday after it was revealed he needs toe surgery, prompting the team to move quickly to shore up its quarterback depth ahead of Week 3.
Burrow suffered the injury in the first half of Cincinnati’s 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday and is believed to have a Grade 3 turf-toe injury with torn ligaments. The team promoted Brett Rypien from the practice squad to serve as Jake Browning’s backup and signed veteran quarterbacks Mike White and Sean Clifford to the practice squad, according to multiple reports.
Browning relieved Burrow on Sunday and completed 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Browning, who started several games in 2023 after Burrow suffered a wrist injury and went 4-3 as a starter, will start in the short term while the Bengals evaluate Burrow’s recovery timeline.
Rypien was elevated from the practice squad to be the immediate backup for Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. Behind Rypien, Cincinnati added 30-year-old Mike White and 27-year-old Sean Clifford to the practice squad to provide experienced depth.
White has spent much of his career in the AFC East and saw his most prominent action with the New York Jets in 2021, when he replaced an injured Zach Wilson and won a start the following week in a 34-31 victory over Cincinnati. White signed a two-year deal with the Miami Dolphins in March 2023 but was released that August and joined the Buffalo Bills later that month. In 15 career games, White has thrown nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Clifford was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and spent the past two seasons on the Packers’ roster. He has limited regular-season experience, appearing in two games in 2023, and provides Cincinnati with another developmental option on the practice squad.
The Bengals entered the week hoping to protect a 2-0 start; a win in Minnesota would give Cincinnati its first 3-0 opening since 2015. Minnesota’s quarterback situation is also unsettled after the Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy suffered a high-ankle sprain Sunday, and veteran Carson Wentz could see playing time for the Vikings if McCarthy is unavailable.
The Bengals did not provide a timetable for Burrow’s return when they placed him on injured reserve. The move opens the practice-squad and backup roster moves as short-term measures while the club manages an unexpected absence at its most important position.