The Cincinnati Bengals could be looking for a new man to support Joe Burrow, with his backup of three years set to hit free agency.
Jake Browning will test out the market and look for a new team after it emerged the Bengals didn’t offer him a new deal for the 2026 season. In his three years in Cincinnati, he started 10 games while No. 1 starter Burrow battled injury.
Last season, however, the Bengals opted to trade for another quarterback than stick with Browning when Burrow was ruled out for almost three months with turf toe.
They brought in Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns but the team failed to make the postseason in another disappointing campaign for a roster which, when healthy, boasts an array of offensive stars.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, however, the Bengals aren’t completely closed off to bringing Browning back, depending on how free agency goes. In 2025, he had a base salary over just over $1million, so a return would be unlikely to cause too many cap issues.
Browning is also well known to many NFL fans through his fiancee, Stephanie Niles, a swimwear designer who often goes viral on gamedays through her outfits.
Niles has been engaged to the Bengals backup signal caller since last November
Stephanie Niles, the fiancee of Bengals star Jake Browning, went viral for her gameday outfits
Niles was a keen supporter of Browning when he covered for Joe Burrow last season
Niles and the quarterback have been together for seven years after meeting in college
Last season, Niles went viral on multiple occasions for braving the cold and showing off her outfits.
On one occasion, she stood outside the team’s Paycor Stadium in the snow to show off her custom long-sleeve top and leggings.
The ensemble also featured an orange ‘6’ on the chest, Browning’s number for the Bengals, which she later showed was her own work.
Niles, who got engaged to the NFL player in 2024, captioned the video of her outfit: ‘when you’re cold, but you’re not chill lol’.
The couple met in their days studying at the University of Washington and will have been together eight years in May.
Browning will learn what the future holds for his football career in the near future. His former teammate Burrow seems to be enjoying his offseason, though.
The 29-year-old was pictured in Vegas on a night out with Hollywood star Jessica Alba, 44, over the weekend.
