Cincinnati Bengals elevate AJ McCarron for Sunday’s game.
The Cincinnati Bengals have upgraded quarterback AJ McCarron for Sunday’s game. On Sunday, Carron will participate in an NFL regular-season game for the first time since January 3, 2021, both in uniform and available.
Additionally, on Saturday, the Bengals placed quarterback Joe Burrow on injured reserve. Cincinnati’s previous game, a 34-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on November 16, resulted in Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury.
![St. Louis Battlehawks quarterback AJ McCarron passes](https://i0.wp.com/www.al.com/resizer/2Wnu3Ge6IHKJGryKnxHoNQD5GEc=/1280x0/smart/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/advancelocal/5A2BXGWNORG3ZC7IKHUPEBOBNI.jpg?w=768&ssl=1)
After Burrow left the game, Jake Browning completed it as quarterback. On Sunday, he will start for the Bengals against the Steelers. McCarron will be able to support Browning in his first NFL start after being promoted from the practice squad.
McCarron, who was selected by Cincinnati in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, had a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on August 21, 2021, while participating in an NFL preseason game for the Atlanta Falcons. McCarron didn’t play football again until early this year after spending that season on injured reserve.
McCarron led the XFL in touchdown passes, completion percentage, and passing efficiency rating while he was a member of the St. Louis Battlehawks. On September 23, Cincinnati added McCarthy to its practice squad. It’s going to be his first promotion. For every game, two players from the practice squad can be activated by each NFL team.
Sunday’s game between the Bengals and Steelers begins at 12:00 CST at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. At St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mobile, McCarron was named an All-State player in both baseball and football. He also assisted the Saints in their 2007 AHSAA Class 5A football championship win.
For the 2011 and 2012 BCS national championship teams from Alabama, McCarron was the starting quarterback. He placed second in the Heisman Trophy voting, earned the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Maxwell Award, and became the Crimson Tide’s all-time passing leader in 2013.
The former Alabama All-American was promoted from the practice squad by the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday in preparation for their Sunday game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.