Cincinnati Bengals Urged To Land New York Jets Fan Favorite WR on Practice Squad

The Cincinnati Bengals need to upgrade their wide receiver room, and the New York Jets could help them do that.

Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Jason Brownlee (16) pass is broken up by Carolina Panthers cornerback D'Shawn Jamison (29) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Despite the season getting underway, the New York Jets have explored options on other team's practice squads and around free agency. They also have players on their own reserve group who could be of interest to other teams around the NFL. 

Of those is Jason Brownlee.

The fan favorite was a surprise cut in August. He hasn't had much of an opportunity to prove he belongs on the Jets roster, playing in just seven games and catching five passes on eight targets in his first year in the NFL in 2023.

However, Brownlee has shown well during practices and preseason games, creating the possibility of him potentially making an impact for New York or a different team in the future.

With multiple teams struggling around the league in Week 1, the wide receivers' services might be needed more than ever. 

One specific team — the Cincinnati Bengals — might need to make that call right away.

The Bengals' offense is one of the best in football when they get going, but their lack of receiver depth is questionable. They have two superstars in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but Joe Burrow doesn't have many other options.

That was on full display in their loss against a below-average New England Patriots team, scoring just 10 points. They also only had 154 total passing yards.

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department thinks they found the solution, urging them to land Brownlee. 

"The Bengals receiver room was a bit questionable heading into Week 1. Ja'Marr Chase's status was murky and Tee Higgins was a surprise addition to the injury report with a hamstring issue. It highlighted just how close this team is to having Andrei Iosivas working as the team's top target. It wouldn't be a bad idea for the Bengals to explore other teams' practice squads and see if there's a receiver worth signing. Jason Brownlee has looked good when the Jets have given him preseason action ... Signing him to the active roster before the Jets can promote him might be a sneaky-good move."

As BR alluded to, there's a possibility the Jets put him on the active roster. If they were to do so, Cincinnati could still land him, but it might make things more challenging.

Don't be surprised if Brownlee does end up with a new team.

New York might do him a favor and trade him to help the youngster find a home, too.

Moving him to a team in the AFC would have some downsides, but he hasn't proven to be good enough to worry about him going to a team in the same conference and really making a big difference.