The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone for the Cincinnati Bengals, and now Zac Taylor and his coaching staff focus on moves from assessing prospects to working with those players on the field. After missing the playoffs the last two seasons despite winning nine games each season, the expectation for the Bengals is that they return to a championship contender status. The root of those expectations lies in the championship potential of quarterback Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ decision to extend their commitment with wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. In 2025, the only result the Bengals and Burrow can accept as success is a return to the AFC championship level they reached in 2021, when Cincinnati made a run to the Super Bowl.
QB 1: Joe Burrow
When the Cincinnati Bengals used the 1st pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the expectations of all Bengals fans quickly became winning a Super Bowl. In 2021, the Bengals nearly achieved that goal, but came up short against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half. Since losing that Super Bowl, the Bengals quarterback has struggled to get back to a championship level of performance. During his career with the Bengals, Burrow has a quarterback rating of 101.2, completing 1,748 out of 2,597 pass attempts for 19,001 yards and 140 touchdowns. The only limiting factor for Burrow has been pass protection and his health, including significant injuries in 2020 and 2023.
QB 2: Jake Browning
During the 2023 season, when Burrow suffered an injury that kept him out of action for several games, the Bengals found a “diamond in the rough” with backup quarterback Jake Browning. Browning’s playing style has many similarities to Burrow’s, making him an ideal backup to lead the Bengals’ offense. During his career with the Bengals, Browning has completed 171 out of 243 passes for 1,936 yards, resulting in 12 touchdowns. Similar to Burrow, Browning has an impressive career quarterback rating of 98.4.
QB 3: Logan Woodside
As the Cincinnati Bengals prepared themselves for the 2025 NFL Draft, Cincinnati decided to bring back a familiar face from 2018. 2018 Logan Woodside was on the Bengals roster as a backup quarterback. After that season, Woodside moved to play eight games with the San Antonio Commanders during the 2019 Alliance of American Football season. The Tennessee Titans then signed Woodside, who spent three seasons with the Titans until he signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. During his NFL career, Woodside has only thrown seven passes and completed four of those passes for 34 yards. In 2025, Woodside’s ceiling is that of the Bengals’ third-string quarterback.
QB 4: UDFA Payton Thorne
The newest Bengals quarterback room addition is undrafted free agent Payton Thorne. Thorne started his college football career at Michigan State University from 2019 until 2022. In 2023, Thorne transferred to Auburn to play out his remaining years of college eligibility. Thorne played 53 games during his collegiate career and completed 886 passes on 1,444 pass attempts. The results of Thorne’s play at the college level included 10,669 passing yards, 86 touchdown passes, and 43 interceptions. Bengals’ Rookie mini-camp begins on Friday, May 9th, and Thorne will get his opportunity to show that he could have the ability to beat out Woodside for the third-string quarterback position.
Championship Expectations for 2025
The 2025 Cincinnati Bengals team’s measuring stick is returning to a level of performance that will allow the Bengals to compete for an AFC championship. The weight of those expectations lies on Joe Burrow’s shoulders. Burrow will need help from his offensive weapons, and improved pass protection will make Burrow’s mission to win a championship much more realistic. The Bengals’ quarterback must be the bridge between championship expectations and winning an AFC championship.
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