The Bengals entered the 2023 season with Super Bowl expectations, but the narrative has shifted considerably since Week 1. Cincinnati is winless entering Week 3, and Joe Burrow's calf has become a bigger storyline than his play or his new contract.
As the Bengals prepare to play the Rams, they have left Burrow's status up in the air. If the former No. 1 pick plays, reports indicate he will be playing through pain. That led Cincinnati to add some insurance ahead of the prime-time matchup and elevate QB Reid Sinnett from the practice squad.
Jake Browning is the Bengals' backup quarterback, but in the event Burrow can't go, Zac Taylor would need multiple quarterbacks at his disposal. Browning's inexperience also makes him far from a sure thing against a Super Bowl-winning coach and a defense led by Aaron Donald.
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Here's what you need to know about Sinnett, the backup to the backup in Cincinnati.
Who is Reid Sinnett?
While Browning's inexperience will be a storyline if he plays, Sinnett likewise hasn't started an NFL game. In fact, he's thrown zero regular season passes.
An undrafted free agent in 2020, Sinnett latched on with the Buccaneers and was cut loose by Tampa on two separate occasions before the regular season. He spent nearly a calendar year with the Eagles as an insurance option in 2021 and 2022 before latching on with the Dolphins for a month.
Sinnett spent time in the XFL with the San Antonio Brahmas earlier this year, and he initially signed with the Bengals in July. As recently as last week, however, Sinnett was a free agent. The Bengals waived him in August and only re-signed him on Friday, after practice squad QB Will Grier was scooped up by the Patriots.
Now, Sinnett could find himself as high as No. 2 on the Bengals' depth chart if Burrow misses any time.
The Bengals signed former Alabama QB A.J. McCarron to their practice squad over the weekend, but Sinnett was the only quarterback elevated to the active roster to join Burrow and Browning.
MORE: What to know about Bengals backup QB Jake Browning
Where did Reid Sinnett go to college?
Sinnett played at FCS school San Diego, spending only one season as a starter. That season was enough to put Sinnett on NFL radars, as he signed with the Buccaneers shortly after the 2020 NFL Draft.
Sinnett completed 66.9 percent of passes for 3,844 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions as San Diego's starter in 2019, guiding the Toreros to their fourth consecutive trip to the FCS playoffs.
Even if Sinnett gets some run in the NFL, he has a long way to go to become San Diego's most notable NFL quarterback. Journeyman Josh Johnson, who has made only nine starts but has spent time with 14 different teams, made his name at San Diego as well.
Bengals QB depth chart
1. Joe Burrow
Burrow will be the Bengals' No. 1 quarterback as long as he wants to be, but his status is up in the air due to a calf injury that has lingered from early in training camp. If Burrow is forced to miss any time, the Bengals don't have much experience behind him.
2. Jake Browning
Browning has thrown only one NFL pass since going undrafted out of Washington in 2019, spending time with both the Vikings and Bengals. He led the Huskies to the College Football Playoff in 2016.
3. Reid Sinnett
Sinnett likewise hasn't started an NFL game or seen any regular season action since going undrafted out of San Diego in 2020. He's bounced around the NFL, spending time with four teams, and recently had a stint in the XFL.
4. A.J. McCarron
McCarron is easily the most experienced option behind Burrow, but he was just added to the practice squad over the weekend. A national champion at Alabama, McCarron served as Andy Dalton's backup for four seasons with the Bengals and started a playoff game against the Steelers when Dalton was injured. He is also coming off a stint in the XFL with the St. Louis Battlehawks.
