Jake Browning, the all-time passing leader for Washington football, has landed a new gig in the NFL, signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. This comes after he lost the backup quarterback spot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the preseason and turned down a practice squad offer there, hunting for a better chance to keep his NFL career going. Well, that chance came knocking on Tuesday.
From Huskies Legend to Charger Emergency
So, how’d he get there? Browning reportedly signed with the Chargers after a successful tryout. He’s likely headed for their practice squad, but honestly, with how things are going down in LA, he’s basically an emergency option. Chargers’ usual backup, former first-round pick Trey Lance, just hit injured reserve with a groin injury on Saturday. That’s what pulled DJ Uiagalelei up from the practice squad in the first place. Browning seems to have beaten out another ex-Bucs QB, Kyle Trask, in the tryout, as both were working out for the Chargers alongside five wide receivers. It’s a real carousel down there, and Browning’s experience is a big plus. He’s already started 10 games in three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, going 4-6, throwing for 2,707 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Meanwhile, Uiagalelei, who came in as an undrafted free agent in 2025, hasn’t even seen NFL action yet.
An 0-5 Nightmare in Los Angeles
Let’s be real, the Chargers are a complete mess right now. They’re sitting at a frustrating 0-5. Remember all the offseason hype around former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel taking over as offensive coordinator to work with Justin Herbert? Yeah, that “marriage” has been a disaster so far. Herbert has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, and the team ranks dead last in offensive EPA per play through five games. It gets worse: Herbert is taking some brutal hits because his offensive line is basically held together with duct tape. Left tackle Rashawn Slater, left guard Trey Pipkins III, and center Tyler Biadasz are all on injured reserve. Right tackle Joe Alt left their Week 4 game with a neck injury and didn’t even play last week. Herbert took a big shot to the ribs and another to the knee against our very own Seattle Seahawks in that Week 4 slugfest, and then he took an awkward hit this past week against the Denver Broncos that left him limping. Yikes.
What happens next? Browning might even end up sharing Lance’s No. 5 jersey while Lance is on injured reserve, given the retired numbers for legends like Dan Fouts and Charlie Joiner. For the Chargers, it’s about trying to stop the bleeding. They’re 0-5 and losing their quarterback options left and right. Jake Browning might just be their last hope for some stability in a completely unstable situation.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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