Rumblings that quarterback Russell Wilson and the Cincinnati Bengals could be a match for each other began last week when the New York Giants benched the Super Bowl champion signal-caller. After the Bengals suffered a second straight blowout defeat in Week 4, calls for the Bengals to bring Wilson back to the AFC North have only grown louder.
On Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton named Wilson the No. 1 quarterback trade option who could “spark” the Bengals offense.
The former Steelers quarterback sat at the top of the list which also included Kirk Cousins, Sam Howell, Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston.
“Wilson is the top option on this list because he had some decent games on a playoff team last season, throwing for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 63.7 percent completion rate,” Moton wrote. “Additionally, his resume is far more impressive than that of the other candidates, boasting 10 Pro Bowl campaigns and making two Super Bowl appearances as a starter.”
Moton also cited Wilson’s strong performance in Week 2 for the Giants as a reason the Bengals could pursue him. Against the Dallas Cowboys, Wilson completed 30 of 41 passes for 450 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Could the Bengals Replace Jake Browning With Russell Wilson?
The Bengals entered this season as AFC North contenders after winning their last five games last year. Although it didn’t result in a playoff berth, quarterback Joe Burrow entered the MVP conversation thanks to his finish to 2024.
During the five-game winning streak, Burrow completed 76.7% of his passes for 7.7 yards per attempt with 13 touchdowns.
Burrow and the Bengals began 2025 with two wins. But the MVP candidate went down with a toe injury. In two games with Jake Browning behind center, opponents have outscored the Bengals 76-13.
Browning has been a serviceable quarterback for Cincinnati in the past. But in his last two starts, he’s averaged just 5.1 yards per pass with a touchdown and two interceptions.
After the first drive of Week 4, the Bengals ran just one play in their opponent’s territory.
Including the playoffs, Wilson has lost his past eight NFL starts. But just before the start of that losing streak, Wilson threw for 414 yards and three touchdowns against the Bengals in Week 13 last season.
That performance could be fresh in the organization’s mind if they begin shopping the trade market for a quarterback.
Bengals Need More Help Than at Just QB
Burrow is expected to be sidelined for three months. That prognosis and Browning’s poor play is why pundits have begun speculating the Bengals as a potential trade destination for a quarterback.
But there’s a reason why Burrow is an MVP candidate. He arguably carries his team more than any other quarterback in the NFL.
Wilson can’t carry a team like Burrow. So even if Wilson is better than Browning, the Bengals will need to improve in a lot of areas to be competitive, let alone win.
After Week 4, Cincinnati is last in the NFL in rushing yards, and it’s not particularly close. The Bengals have 200 rushing yards through four games while every other team in the league has at least 320.
On defense, the Bengals are 27th in points allowed and 30th in yards yielded. They are 26th in rushing yards permitted and 30th in passing yards allowed.
Cincinnati is also in the NFL’s bottom 10 in sacks, third-down conversion percentage against and defensive red zone touchdown percentage.
Furthermore, on Monday night, the Bengals committed 11 accepted penalties.
Last season, the Steelers had a much better team than what the Bengals have been the past two weeks. Yet, Wilson posted a 6-5 record as a starter in the regular season.
The Bengals have to improve in many areas for Browning or any other quarterback to have success before Burrow returns.
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