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The Cincinnati Bengals have placed backup quarterback Jeff Driskel on injured reserve per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. He also noted that an injury settlement may be in the near future, allowing Driskel to head elsewhere.
The #Bengals are placing backup QB Jeff Driskel (hamstring) on Injured Reserve, source said. They may do a settlement with him after that. Rookie Ryan Finley wins the job backing up Andy Dalton.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2019
Not many were expecting the preseason explosion of Ryan Finley. However, with his impressive play, it’s clear that Driskel was no longer the favorite to be the team’s backup. We don’t even know if Driskel would be ahead of Jake Dolegala either after he put together a solid performance against the Colts in the team’s last preseason outing.
That said, Driskel may agree to an injury settlement, an agreement that’d pay him for his time missed while also allowing him to become a free agent. With his future with Cincinnati in the wind, this scenario seems like a very possible outcome for the former LA Tech standout.
Driskel won’t have left Cincinnati without a fair chance. Although he was given a struggling offense without a star receiver or a great line last season, Driskel also looked far inferior to fourth-round pick Ryan Finley in the preseason.
13-for-27 with an interception and just over 130 yards is not what the Bengals needed from Driskel. The 26-year-old should be able to find a place in the NFL, just don’t expect that place to be Cincinnati for too much longer.