Bengals Rumors: Former XFL QB Reid Sinnett to Sign Contract amid Joe Burrow's Injury

With Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow set to spend "several weeks" recovering from right calf strain suffered during Thursday's practice, the Cincinnati Bengals are adding depth at the position.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team will sign former XFL quarterback Reid Sinnett.

Sinnett and fellow XFL product Drew Plitt worked out for the Bengals during Saturday's practice, according to Rapoport.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters the team planned to add another quarterback to the roster in Burrow's absence, per WLWT's Olivia Ray.

Currently, the Bengals have Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning on the roster behind Burrow.

Sinnett made one start for the XFL's San Antonio Brahmas last season, while Plitt made five appearances with the Arlington Renegades.

Plitt appeared to be a quality option, having first joined the Bengals' training camp last season, when Burrow was recovering from an appendectomy.

During Plitt's prior stint with the Bengals, the undrafted quarterback impressed in the last quarter of an NFL preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. His brief appearance was highlighted by a 25-yard touchdown pass to Kendric Pryor.

Plitt also played in the Bengals' second preseason game of 2022 against the New York Giants, where he completed one of two attempts for 17 yards. He was waived following the preseason.

Sinnett, who previously spent time with four NFL teams but has yet to make a regular-season appearance, has also worked out of the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts this summer.

The team still chose Sinnett, who could conceivably see a few reps over the next few weeks of the Bengals' preparation for the regular season.

However, unless Burrow faces setbacks in recovery, Week 1 "should be a realistic possibility" for the return of the Bengals' first-string quarterback, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported.

"That being said, it's a calf injury, it's tricky, you can re-injure it, it can lead to other things, so the Bengals surely will be cautious with this," Garafolo said. "My hunch is that we won't see [Burrow] in the preseason."

If the Bengals follow that timeline, the Cincinnati squad could be spending the next month without Burrow. Sinnett can provide the team with a third arm to keep Siemian and Browning from risking injury with too large of a workload during upcoming practices and preseason games.