Jake Browning became one of the standouts in the Year of the Backup Quarterback.

When he stepped in for the Cincinnati Bengals at midseason, the Bengals seemed to be on the brink of collapse. They weren’t playing well even with Pro Bowler Joe Burrow at the controls. And when Burrow tore a ligament in his right wrist — ending a season that began with a training-camp calf strain — pundits began sizing up the Bengals for a top-5 pick.

Browning had other ideas.

And by the season’s final weeks, the Bengals had a chance at the postseason. What’s more, Jake Browning and his solid play — reflected in a 98.4 passer rating and a 60.1 ESPN QBR — was a reason why.

Furthermore, among 32 quarterbacks with at least 140 plays in Weeks 11-18 — the point at which Browning took the field in place of the injured Burrow — he ranked eighth in EPA (expected points added) per play, at 0.141. For that span, that placed Browning ahead of such quarterbacks as C.J. Stroud and Patrick Mahomes.

Burrow’s return will send Browning — previously a practice-squad mainstay — back to the bench.

But he may be a quarterback worth examining.

“And a guy like Jake Browning on the Bengals, for instance. Came out of nowhere. And had a great year replacing Joe Burrow,” NFL on CBS analyst Boomer Esiason said.

“Could that be a guy that the Broncos would consider? Because he would be a less-expensive guy, and you can build a better team around him.”

WHY JAKE BROWNING MAY NOT BE A VIABLE ANSWER
First of all, there is a question over whether Jake Browning could replicate his play with Sean Payton after flourishing under Zac Taylor … although Payton himself has a history of maximizing the play of his passers, as reflected by the bumps enjoyed by Teddy Bridgewater in 2019 and Jameis Winston in 2021, not to mention his long-ago restoration work on Kerry Collins, who went from the scrap heap to a Super Bowl starter when Payton guided the New York Giants’ offense.

But the bigger issue could be his status. For the Broncos to get Browning, they’d have to trade for him. Browning is set to become an exclusive-rights free agent, which simply means if the Bengals offer him a standard, minimum contract for his experience, he either signs it or he doesn’t play. Thus, Cincinnati has all his rights.

And why would the Bengals trade him? Cincinnati fancies itself as a title contender. Indeed, they’re the only team to pierce the Chiefs’ AFC hegemony in the last five seasons, defeating Kansas City in the 2021 AFC Championship Game.

Jake Browning offers the Bengals a back who can keep their ship afloat and run their scheme effectively. So, the Bengals could ask for a price that would be too high for Browning … and that might nip any notion in the bud.

But given what Browning did with Cincinnati in a QB-friendly environment, it’s fair to expect something similar if the Broncos brought him together with Payton.