Backup quarterback has been a major issue of frustration and worry amongst Bengals fans. And there's good reason for it. O'Sullivan didn't record a single touchdown through 60 passing attempts and five preseason games. O'Sullivan and Jordan Palmer tied for a dismal 6.6 yards/attempt average and in truth, neither played well enough to help relieve general worries that sit in the back of our minds if Carson Palmer suffers an injury.
| ATT | COMP | Comp% | YARDS | TD | INT | RATING | |
| J.T. O'Sullivan | 60 | 35 | 58.3% | 396 | 0 | 2 | 64.3 |
| Jordan Palmer | 52 | 29 | 55.8% | 345 | 3 | 3 | 71.4 |
For those general reasons, many suspect that the Bengals will go through the waiver wire and free agency to see what remains. Some interest was peaked with reports that the Arizona Cardinals had enough of their former first round pick, quarterback Matt Leinart. The Tennessee Titans are also reportedly releasing Chris Simms.
| ATT | COMP | Comp% | YARDS | TD | INT | RATING | |
| J.T. O'Sullivan | 257 | 145 | 56.4% | 1,866 | 9 | 13 | 69.9 |
| Matt Leinart | 595 | 340 | 57.1% | 3,893 | 14 | 20 | 70.8 |
| Chris Simms | 511 | 297 | 58.1% | 3,117 | 12 | 18 | 69.1 |
The truth is, why should we go after a quarterback that got beat out by Derek Anderson and backup Max Hall? Leinart's career numbers mirror that of O'Sullivan's, who has played with eight different teams since 2002. The idea of Leinart is interesting because the prospects of adding a new toy is always fun. But in reality, Leinart would have to lower his personal expectations to become a backup quarterback taking the going rate for backup quarterbacks.
While Seattle, the city for reclaiming USC castoffs, seems like a more appropriate destination, Leinart doesn't appear to be that much better of a solution than O'Sullivan.