Examining Why Bengals Signed AJ McCarron to Practice Squad

The veteran quarterback spent time in the XFL earlier this year.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Sep 23, 2023 7:00 PM EDT

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Bengals signed AJ McCarron to the practice squad on Saturday.

Does this mean Joe Burrow isn't playing on Monday against the Rams?

The short answer is no. The McCarron signing has more to do with Will Grier's departure than it does Burrow's calf injury.

The Bengals were put in a tough spot this week when Grier chose to sign with the Patriots' 53-man roster. He might've gotten a game check this week in Cincinnati, but the long-term opportunity in New England was appealing.

Cincinnati quickly called a familiar face that spent over a month with the team in training camp. Reid Sinnett was on the first flight to Cincinnati and quickly joined the Bengals practice squad.

Sinnett could be elevated to the Bengals' active roster on Monday night, but he was never expected to be Cincinnati's third quarterback for the remainder of the season.

After adding Sinnett, they always planned on looking at the free agent signal-callers still on the market. It's why they brought in McCarron and Trace McSorely for a workout on Saturday.

McCarron turned 33-years-old on Sept. 13. He hasn't played in the NFL since 2021, but he did fare well in the XFL earlier this season, completing 203 of 295 attempts for 2,150 yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions in nine games with the St. Louis Battlehawks.

That success combined with his experience, familiarity with the organization, and the coaching staff made McCarron an intriguing option.

Offensive coordinator Brian Callahan coached him in 2018 when he was the Raiders quarterbacks coach. Current quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher was an offensive assistant for two of the four seasons (2016-17) McCarron spent in Cincinnati the first time around.

The Bengals signed McCarron to replace Grier. Not to save the season on Monday night. Not to fill in for Burrow for the next month.

The Bengals would like nothing more than for Burrow to play in all 15 remaining regular season games at a high level. If he can't do that on Monday because of his calf injury, then Jake Browning will get the nod at quarterback.

McCarron is insurance. He's a stable veteran. He's also replacing Grier.

This is a smart move by the Bengals. Adding insurance at the most important position makes sense. McCarron has experience and he gives them a veteran option that they can turn to [if needed] at some point this season.

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