Cincinnati Bengals QB depth chart 2021: Starters and Backup players
Cincinnati Bengals' starting quarterback Joe Burrow returns after suffering a serious knee injury during his rookie season in 2020. The franchise is counting on their former no. 1 overall draft pick to bounce back after his long rehab period.
Burrow has attended the Bengals OTAs this off-season and should be ready to start Week One against the Minnesota Vikings. The 24-year-old will be backed up again by Brandon Allen, who featured in five games for Cincinnati last season after Burrow was injured.
The franchise signed Kyle Shurmur to be their third-string quarterback in January this year. Now that we've set the table, let's take a deep dive into the Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback depth chart for 2021.
Cincinnati Bengals 2021 depth chart - Quarterbacks
QB1 (Starter): Joe Burrow.
QB2: Brandon Allen.
QB3: Kyle Shurmur.
QB4: Eric Dungey.
Cincinnati Bengals QB depth chart analysis
Starter
The Bengals drafted LSU QB Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Burrow started ten games in his rookie season before suffering a horrific knee injury.
Before he was injured, Burrow showed glimpses of his star potential. He threw for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. Head coach Zac Taylor will be seeking more progress this season from his starting play-caller.
The Bengals drafted the quarterback's former LSU teammate, Ja’Marr Chase ,with the fifth overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Their pre-existing chemistry should help both players excel in their first NFL season together.
Chase joins Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd as the primary offensive weapons for Joe Burrow to pass to in 2021.
Backup QBs
The 28-year-old Brandon Allen took over from the injured Joe Burrow as the Bengals' starter late last season. It was just his second year in the league, and not surprisingly, he struggled with a 44.9 QBR.
In five games, Allen threw for 925 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. That experience should help the backup quarterback if he is called upon to start for the Bengals in the future.
Apart from Allen, the Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback depth chart is very inexperienced. Kyle Shurmur was signed to be the third-string QB; he was previously with the Kansas City Chiefs but has never thrown a pass in an NFL game.
Rookie Eric Dungey rounds out the Bengals' quarterback depth chart and will be mainly used in the practice squad. Bengals fans will be praying for an injury-free season for Joe Burrow, as there's not much depth backing him up in 2021.