One of the best-paid quarterbacks in NFL history could immediately help the Cincinnati Bengals.But it doesn’t appear that a four-time Pro Bowler with a massive résumé will be replacing Joe Burrow anytime soon. “They really believe they have one of the best — if not the best — backup quarterback situations in the league,” NFL insider Dan Graziano exclusively told talkSPORT. Why Bengals have refused blockbuster tradeJake Browning guided the Bengals to a gritty 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 that again exposed Trevor Lawrence‘s weaknesses.The undrafted Browning is 4-3 as a starter, and he completed 70.4 percent of his passes in 2023 while playing nine games (seven starts) in Burrow’s absence. But many Cincy fans believe the team is in ‘win-now’ mode after paying Trey Hendrickson, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase a combined $306 million.With Kirk Cousins ($321m in career earnings) sitting on the Atlanta Falcons‘ bench behind Michael Penix Jr., who’s ranked No. 15 on talkSPORT’s list of the best NFL QBs, it’s easy to picture the Bengals instantly replacing Burrow with Cousins.” Hey, Bengals, with Burrow out three months, time to make a call for Kirk Cousins,” one fan tweeted. “We just paid everyone, so we are in win-now mode. Go get a proven QB!”But Graziano said that Cincinnati is unlikely to pursue the 37-year-old Cousins, despite the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers up next on a tough schedule. “I would not expect them to bring in a trade for Kirk Cousins from the Falcons and install him as the starter,” Graziano said. “That would be a surprising move for a team that doesn’t tend to spend a lot of money — although recently that’s changed, obviously, some of the signings they’ve made. I also think that they believe Browning can handle this.”What makes Bengals believe in Browning? The 29-year-old Browning completed 21-of-32 passes for 241 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions and a 69.9 rating in Week 2.talksportJoe Burrow could be replaced by one of the richest players in NFL history[/caption]GettyBut Jake Browning has spent three seasons waiting for this moment[/caption]More importantly, he’s built trust within the Bengals’ locker room, and is respected by the coaching staff.“This is a guy that’s been in their program, he’s in his fifth year now,” Graziano said. “It was Brian Callahan who was the offensive coordinator there for a long time that helped kind of develop him. He’s now the head coach of the (Tennessee) Titans. “So I think Browning’s performance in 2023 is part of the reason Brian Callahan got a head coach job, quite frankly. So this is a guy that knows their offense, that has run it before, and has executed it. … There are a lot of good players on that offense, and Browning has shown an ability to operate it.”New QB could still be added by Cincy Despite the belief in Browning, the Bengals are likely to add a third QB to fill out their weekly roster for a Week 3 game against the Vikings. Brett Rypien is now No. 2 on Cincy’s depth chart. One last ride?Kirk Cousins Age: 37Team: Atlanta FalconsDraft: Fourth round (No. 102 overall) by Washington Redskins in 2012College: Michigan StateVitals: 6ft 3in, 205 lbNicknames: Captain Kirk, Kirko Chainz2025 contract: $40 millionCareer earnings: $321 millionCareer stats: 66.9 completion %, 42,979 yards, 288 TD, 126 INT, 97.4 ratingHonors: Pro Bowl (4), NFC Offensive Player of the Week (9)Did you know? Cousins was featured in back-to-back seasons of Netflix’s Quarterback series “I think they’ll bring in another quarterback, just to have their requisite number on the roster,” Graziano said. Burrow is missing significant time for the third season since he was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft out of LSU.That concerning trend isn’t likely to lead the Bengals to a blockbuster trade with Atlanta for Cousins.Instead, Cincy is set to double down on Browning and hope that a healthy Burrow — who’s twice won NFL Comeback Player of the Year — can return to a winning team just in time for the start of the playoffs.“Optimistic scenario on Burrow sounds like three months, which would put him back in mid-to-late December with maybe a couple of games left in the regular season,” Graziano said. “I don’t know if that’s possible. It’s the most optimistic read on this. So if you go 6-5 with Browning, maybe if Burrow does make a great recovery and can play at the end of the season, maybe you still have a chance to get in the playoffs and make some noise. “I think that’s where Bengals fans are hanging any hope right now, is on that idea.”Which means that Cousins might still be getting paid $40m a year to sit and watch behind Penix in Atlanta. Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the offseason news, interviews and more.