Many fans assumed the Cincinnati Bengals season was over after Joe Burrow went down versus the Ravens with a torn ligament in his wrist. The Bengals then went on to lose to their division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Then, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bengals, with backup quarterback Jake Browning, won 34-31 in a shootout. He is only the 10th NFL QB ever to throw for 350+ yards and an 85%+ completion percentage. After hearing his story, many fans are surprised that it took so long for him to get his NFL chance.
Once again in week 14, Browning led his team to a 34-14 win over the Indianapolis Colts, in which he threw 18 for 24 completions with two touchdowns. However, he did have one interception which was returned for a touchdown right before halftime.
In high school, Browning won ‘Gatorade Player of the Year’ two years in a row and carried his team to a state championship victory. While at the University of Washington, he set multiple university records (career and season) and was floated as a potential Heisman candidate.
Despite this, he went undrafted and only entered the NFL when the Minnesota Vikings signed him in 2019.
“He was one of the hardest-working guys on the team,” said Chris Petersen, Browning’s college coach, “Not one of the hardest.”
“(Browning) is around some damn good coaches. Zac and Cali. Those guys know what they’re doing. They know how to put him in a position to be successful,” said Gary Kubiak, former Texans head coach and one of Jake Browning’s personal mentors.