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Bengals sign QBs Sean Clifford, Mike White after Joe Burrow injury
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- Bengals sign QBs Sean Clifford, Mike White after Joe Burrow injury
The Cincinnati Bengals lost Joe Burrow for at least three months to a significant turf toe injury . The team wasted little time adding reinforcements to their quarterback room.
The Bengals are planning to sign two quarterbacks to their practice squad Tuesday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter : Sean Clifford and Mike White .
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Clifford, 27, was a fifth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft. He spent two-plus seasons with the Packers before being released as a part of final cuts in 2025 having never attempted a regular-season pass.
Before joining the Packers, Clifford was Penn State's primary starting quarterback for four years. He beat Will Levis for the starting job in 2019 and completed 61.4% of his career passes for 10,661 yards, 86 touchdowns and 31 interceptions.
White, 30, has more experience than Clifford. He was a fifth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2018 NFL Draft but didn't get his first start until 2021 with the New York Jets . White led the Jets to an upset win over the Bengals in that contest after he completed 37 of 45 passes for 405 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
White has a career record of 2-5 as an NFL starter and has completed 61.4% of his passes for 2,247 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He spent the 2025 NFL offseason with the Buffalo Bills , and the Bengals will be the fifth NFL team for which White has played.
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Here's a look at how Clifford and White may fit into Cincinnati's quarterback room.
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Bengals QB depth chart
The additions of Clifford and White now give the Bengals a total of four healthy quarterbacks in their organization with Burrow out of action. Below is a full look at the group:
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Sean Clifford (practice squad)
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Mike White (practice squad)
Browning – who completed 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions while leading the Bengals to a comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars – is poised to start with Burrow sidelined. Behind him, the pecking order was initially unclear.
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However, the Bengals are signing Rypien to their 53-man roster Tuesday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport . That puts the veteran – who joined the Bengals on Aug. 27 – in line to be Browning's backup.
It remains unclear whether the Bengals view Clifford or White as their new third-string quarterback, or if the team will let the duo battle for that role as they occupy spots on the practice squad.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bengals sign two QBs to practice squad after Joe Burrow injury
