The Cincinnati Bengals are back in the game as they registered their third straight win against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday. The Bengals have found their starting QB in Jake Browning who is 3-1 after Joe Burrow met with his season-ending injury. However, Browning’s recent win against the Vikings has caught the attention of the NFL as he got summoned for a drug test.
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Right after the Bengals 27-24 win in Week 15, the Bengals QB received a text message on behalf of the NFL of which he shared a screenshot on his Instagram story. He received a message from Joe, representing the NFL as the Doping Control Officer who scheduled him for a urine steroid test the next day. The DCO specified his availability in the testing area from 9:30 to 12:30 and requested him to acknowledge the message.
“This is Joe, DCO on behalf of the NFL. You’re on my list for a urine steroid test tomorrow. I will be in the testing area from 9:30-12:30. Please confirm receiving this.”
Jake Browning got hit with a drug test after the Bengals’ OT win today
NFL wasted NO TIME
(via @jake_browning) pic.twitter.com/Q3ZpUrvcLi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 16, 2023
Fans weren’t happy with the league’s apparent “random” test and took to social media to express their displeasure, with some even finding humor in the situation:
what a pathetic league man https://t.co/MVRjTH5cDh
— ☘️ (@FuriousBearsFan) December 16, 2023
That’s RIDICULOUS
— NKY Bracket Guy (@BracketNky) December 16, 2023
Common nfL L
— BengalsHead (@BengalsHead) December 16, 2023
No way this was “random”
— Sports Talk ⚾️ (@SportsTalk9930) December 16, 2023
Jake Browning stepped into a challenging situation when his team was struggling 17-3 late in the third quarter. After trying hard in the first three quarters to score, Browning finally made a comeback, leading the Bengals to three crucial touchdowns in the fourth quarter and later directing the winning field goal during the overtime to seal the victory.
Jake Browning Gets Revenge on Vikings
In the Week 15 game, Browning completed 29 of 42 passes while throwing for 324 yards and scoring two touchdowns and one interception. Browning stated, “I feel like I need a beer,” following one of the greatest comeback victories in an intense game.
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Jake Browning was once a part of the Minnesota Vikings after he signed a contract with them in 2021. However, before joining the Bengals he was waived off by the Vikings in 2021. After Cincinnati scored a winning field goal in overtime, the 27-year-old quarterback shouted at the camera, saying the Vikings shouldn’t have let him go. The Bengals QB mentioned,
“I think right after we made the field goal and won the game, I screamed at the camera and said, ‘They never should have cut me'”
Since being associated with two teams in the NFL in 2019, Browning is finally playing his first NFL season in 2023. He has taken the struggling Bengals to winning back-to-back games in the absence of Joe Burrow. The Bengals, holding an 8-6 record, currently ranked third in the AFC North and will face their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, next Saturday in Week 16.
