In a 27-24 overtime win over the Vikings on Saturday, the Bengals' Jake Browning became only the second quarterback with more than 300 passing yards against Minnesota this season, joining Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
Browning is now 3-1 since replacing the injured Joe Burrow as the Cincinnati starter, but he seemed to take special pleasure in beating the Vikings, his former team.
"I think, right after we made the field goal to win the game, I screamed at a camera and said, 'They never should have cut me!'," Browning said Saturday.
The Vikings signed Browning as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and kept him on their roster through the 2021 training camp, where he starred in the team's night practice and was their lone available quarterback for several days because of COVID protocols. Browning took No. 2 reps for much of that camp, and former coach Mike Zimmer pushed to keep him on the roster, but the Vikings chose third-round pick Kellen Mond instead. Browning signed with Cincinnati soon after.
Browning said he's been cut his fair share of times, but that cut was the worst.
"There was definitely a little extra part [to this game]," he said. "I remember getting cut there the last time, and just being told, 'Hey, we might have a spot for you on the practice squad. Go to the hotel and wait.' So, I sat in the hotel for a couple of hours not knowing if I had a job or not, and just basically got a call from my agent. They didn't tell me."
Browning had played down the emotional aspects of the game against the Vikings earlier in the week, but acknowledged Saturday, "There was a little bit more this week."
"I know I denied it, and there are some great people over there. It's completely different — a completely different coaching staff and everything — and I want to emphasize that there are some incredible people over there, but that one felt good," he said.
Browning swapped jerseys with Vikings center Garrett Bradbury after the game.
"It's been an awesome journey for him," Bradbury said. "He deserves all the praise he's getting."
