The Argument for Keeping Three Quarterbacks
Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Bengals have two starting-caliber quarterbacks on their roster and for most of the offseason, it was believed they’d be the only two quarterbacks that would be on the roster for Week 1. But a few weeks into training camp and with two preseason games under their belt, there has been a shift in momentum. Surprisingly, the right move for the Bengals is to keep three quarterbacks.
Joe Burrow is an elite quarterback, one of the best in the NFL, and Jake Browning proved last year that he can fill in capably when Burrow is hurt. Over the past few weeks, however, Logan Woodside has entered the picture, and he has proven enough that this team needs to carry all three.
Woodside was initially drafted by the Bengals back in 2018 in the 7th round, but his first stint with the team was short-lived. Prior to his first training camp, Woodside was arrested and charged with DUI. He didn’t perform well during training camp, and the arrest clearly didn’t help his cause, as he was released during the team’s final cutdown. Since leaving the Bengals, Woodside has bounced around a bit, playing for the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons.
The preseason games are most important for Woodside, and at least his first game showed why he should get a chance. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first preseason game, Woodside completed 8 of his 12 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown After Joe Burrow left the game, the Bengals’ offense sputtered, but when Woodside came in, he kick-started the unit and almost led to Cincinnati to a victory.
Preseason is a lot different than the regular season, but Woodside has shown enough that he deserves to be on the roster and not the practice squad. Especially when you consider the injury issues (for now and in the recent past) at the position. Burrow only played in 10 games last year because of a wrist injury, but he has declared himself better than he was before the injury.
“I think I’m better right now,” Burrow said. “I think mentally I’m faster. I think my body is bigger, faster, stronger this year. My wrist is coming along. When you’re coming back from an injury like that, you get so much better every single day, every single rep, you’re basically relearning how to move your wrist and throw again, which is always a process that I enjoy and I’m excited about, because I love the feeling of getting better.”
Burrow might feel the best he has ever felt, but this Bengals team, especially with the offense, is built to compete for a Super Bowl, and they need a backup plan if he goes down with an injury. That backup plan is Browning, but now he’s hurt, and expected to miss some time as he deals with a rib injury.
It’s unclear at this point how long Browning will be out, but we should have a better update soon. Even if Browning was healthy, though, the result would be the same: Woodside deserves to make the roster.
It’s not just about being deserving, it’s about being needed. If both Burrow and Browning go down, Woodside isn’t going to lead the team to a Super Bowl. But if they’d only gone for a week or two, Woodside has the talent to keep this team afloat, especially with the weapons that would surround him. Ja’Marr Chase is one of the most talented wideouts in the league, and even though he’s holding out now, that isn’t expected to last into the season.
If the Bengals wanted to keep Woodside on the practice squad, they needed him not to find success in the first game. With a solid game under his belt, trying to hide him on the practice squad could leave him vulnerable to being poached by another team. Then if Burrow and/or Browning get hurt, the Bengals are back to square one.
The Bengals face off against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, and Woodside is expected to play a lot. With another big game, the Bengals will be left with little to no choice. For a team that always thought they’d only need to keep two quarterbacks earlier this offseason, they might be forced to keep a third around.
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