Bengals' Jake Browning admits extra motivation vs. Vikings: 'They never should've cut me'

After helping the Cincinnati Bengals rally past the Minnesota Vikings in an overtime win at Paycor Stadium, Bengals quarterback Jake Browning acknowledged he was thinking about how his departure from Minnesota left a bad taste in his mouth.

Browning, who has led the Bengals to three consecutive wins, auditioned for the Vikings' backup role in 2021, and feared he wouldn't hear from another NFL team after Minnesota cut him.

And what about the way he found out the Vikings wouldn't be bringing him back?

"I'm not gonna sit here and say it's not a good feeling," Browning told reporters after Saturday's win. "It's much better than losing. I think the emotional roller coaster is part of the game, and part of that is just me staying even keeled.

"But there was definitely a little extra part of, you know, just before the game like I remembered getting cut there the last time. And just being told, 'Hey, you know, we might have a spot for you on practice squad. Like go to the hotel and wait.' And so I sat in the hotel for like a couple hours, not knowing if I had a job or not. And then just basically got … a call from my agent that … you know, they didn't even tell me.

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Browning continued: "Like I had been there for two years, and, you know, I've been cut my fair share of times, and that was probably the (expletive) one. And, there was a little bit more this week. I know I denied it, and there's some great people over there. It's a completely different coaching staff and everything. And I want to emphasize like there are some incredible people over there, but that one felt good."

The Bengals (8-6) suddenly find themselves in the thick of the AFC playoff race with three weeks to play, and Browning has been as much of a reason for that as anyone.

"I think right after we made the field goal to win the game, I just screamed at a camera, and said they never should've cut me," Browning said. "You just wait until you win and don't look like an idiot."