Bengals clarify stance on Joe Burrow’s replacement amid Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins trade rumors

Joe Burrow is sidelined due to a turf toe injury. As the Cincinnati Bengals are looking for his replacement, the club has made its stance clear amid ongoing trade rumors of Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins.

Following the injury of Joe Burrow that will sideline him for several weeks, the Bengals had to name a new starting QB. Currently, they have Jake Browning leading the offense, and it seems like that won’t change soon.

HC Zac Taylor said on Wednesday that Jake Browning has his complete confidence. Despite ongoing trade rumors that have linked Wilson and Cousins to the club, it appears like the Bengals won’t pursue either of them.

Zac Taylor makes stance clear on Jake Browning amid several struggles

Even though Jake Browning led the Bengals to victory in the same game that Joe Burrow got injured, things have not gone well in the following matches.

Browning has suffered two consecutive defeats as a starter. The quarterback threw one touchdown and two interceptions against the Vikings, while he only threw for 265 combined yards in the games against Minnesota and Denver.

Following his struggles, many rumors suggested that the Bengals may inquire about Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins, who are no longer starters on their teams. Nevertheless, Zac Taylor has no intentions of moving on from Browning in the near future.

“I’ve got a ton of confidence in Jake,” HC Zac Taylor said, via Ben Baby of ESPN.com. “I’m unwavering in that. I’ve seen the best of Jake. I know that we can do a great job supporting him to where he can go win games for us.”

Why are the Bengals not interested in Wilson and Cousins?

The situation with the Bengals is complicated. While Joe Burrow is expected to return this season, he may do so too late, as Cincinnati keeps adding losses to their record, and it may be impossible to turn things around even with Burrow under center.

For that reason, it seems like the Bengals want to test Browning and avoid trading for a QB that may produce the same results. While Wilson and Cousins are available, neither of them would be starters when Burrow returns.