Trevor Siemian looking forward to backing up Joe Burrow and joining a contender

Joe Burrow will have a new backup quarterback this fall as the Cincinnati Bengals added one of the NFL’s most experienced backup signal callers by signing Trevor Siemian in free agency.

The 31-year-old Siemian is entering his ninth NFL season and will come to Cincinnati with 30 career starts under his belt.

“I Iike how good the team is, and I like how well-coached they are,” Siemian told Bengals.com on his decision to join Cincinnati. “I think any time you have a chance to play for a club that’s winning a lot of games, that’s a cool opportunity for any player and especially attractive for me.”

Siemian’s biggest connection to the Bengals is offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.

Callahan was an offensive assistant with the Denver Broncos in 2015, while Siemian was the team’s third-string quarterback behind Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler during the team’s Super Bowl 50 championship season.

“He plays on time, he’s accurate, really intelligent, good decision-maker, smart with the football,” Callahan told Bengals.com. “He understands what it means to be a backup quarterback. It’s an important role, just like we did with Brandon [Allen]. A guy that really understands that can be a valuable asset in the room and on the team.

Siemian will work behind Burrow, one of the NFL’s top five quarterbacks whose already led the Bengals to an AFC Championship and two AFC North division titles in three seasons as a pro.

“I want to help the team any way I can. I want to help Joe, I want to help Jake [Browning] , I want to help the staff anyway I can. My main priority is being the best teammate I can be.”

Siemian has been around several other star quarterbacks, including Manning, Drew Brees, and other proven signal-callers such as Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields, and Jameis Winston.

He’ll bring wisdom from all of his previous spots and a high level of comfort in the offensive scheme to the Bengals’ quarterback room.