Bengals sign quarterback Mike Kafka to practice squad

The Cincinnati Bengals have a new quarterback on their 10-man practice squad.

The team announced Tuesday that Mike Kafka had been signed to the practice squad. This gives the Bengals another arm in practice if AJ McCarron can't practice or is limited in practice this week. McCarron suffered a sprained wrist during Monday's loss to the Denver Broncos that reportedly shouldn't keep him out this Sunday. But, to make sure there are enough arms throwing passes to receivers this week in practice, Kafka will likely get some practice reps and could even be an emergency quarterback in Week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Kafka, now in what's officially his fourth NFL season, has bounced around the league since being a fourth-round pick (No. 122 overall) out of Northwestern in 2010 by way of the Philadelphia Eagles. However, Kafka would last just two seasons in Philly before he suffered a fracture in his non-throwing hand during the preseason of 2012, which helped lead to his eventual release.

The New England Patriots signed him to a reserve/future contract on January 4, 2013, but he was let go on June 10 in favor of Tim Tebow, who signed to compete with Ryan Mallett for the backup spot behind Tom Brady. Since then, Kafka has spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings and most recently Tennessee Titans.

One of Kafka's most recent stints came in Minnesota as he vied for a backup spot behind Teddy Bridgewater, but was placed on season-ending I.R. with a hamstring injury during the preseason. However, Kafka was eventually waived from the I.R. list with an injury settlement, which eventually led to the Tennessee Titans signing him to their practice squad on December 16. However, Kafka was eventually cut him in favor of Bryn Renner on December 22, 2015.

Over the course of his pro career, Kafka has completed 11 of 16 passes (68.8 percent) for 107 yards (6.7 yards per attempt) with two touchdowns and one interception. During his college career at Northwestern, Kafka was known as a dual-threat quarterback who could put up big numbers on the ground and through the air. He threw for 4,265 yards with a completion percentage of 64.1-percent with 19 touchdowns vs 20 interceptions. He also rushed for 891 yards and 11 touchdowns on 268 rushes.

With the Bengals' current roster situation, there's a decent chance Kafka gets a futures contract and ends up the fourth quarterback on the roster this offseason.

For now, Kafka will simply get practice reps as a scout-team quarterback while possibly also getting reps with the first and second-team offenses, depending on what the status of McCarron and Andy Dalton are in the coming weeks. Keith Wenning is currently the backup with Dalton out, and it's hopeful McCarron's wrist injury won't cost him this week against the Baltimore Ravens.

Here's a look at what the 10-man practice squad looks like following Kafka's signing.