Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning has taken a dig at the Minnesota Vikings after defeating his former team, 27-24, in overtime.
The 27-year-old signal-caller signed with Minnesota after going undrafted in 2019. He never played in an NFL game for the franchise, despite having been a practice squad member for the Vikings from 2019-2021.
A week after being cut, Browning joined the Bengals in September 2021, but was just a practice squad member in Cincinnati, too, before competing with Trevor Siemian for the team’s backup quarterback role throughout training camp this year.
He eventually won the job after the third preseason game, and has been called onto fill in for Joe Burrow for the remainder of the season, after Burrow suffered a season-ending injury to his throwing wrist in a 34–20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11.
Browning started for the fourth time of his career against Minnesota on Saturday. He completed 29-of-42 (69.1 percent) passing attempts for 324 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, to improve his record to 3-1 as a starter. He found receiver Tyler Boyd for a 44-yard completion that got Cincinnati (8-6) into Vikings territory and set up Evan McPherson’s game-ending 29-yard field goal with 3:11 left in overtime.