NOTE: This is the first of a 10-part series detailing each position group for the Bengals heading into 2025 training camp, which begins on July 23, and culminating with a 53-player roster projection.

CINCINNATI (WKRC) – This part takes a look at the quarterbacks and who is a lock to make the 53-man roster when it’s finalized on Aug. 26, who is likely to make it and who is in a battle to make it:

How many will likely be kept: 2

Lock to make it: Joe Burrow, Jake Browning

Battling to make it: Logan Woodside, Payton Thorne

The Skinny: Unlike several past camps the question heading into this season for Burrow isn’t when will he be healthy, but rather what can he do for an encore?

Last season he set single-season franchise records for passing yards (4,913), touchdown passes (43) and passer rating (108.5). He also threw a scant nine interceptions in 652 pass attempts.

That came after pensive moments in 2024 training camp about whether his surgically repaired right wrist would be good enough for him to not only play, but play well.

He enters this year’s training camp as healthy as ever and with wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins just a few months removed from signing lucrative contract extensions.

Browning saw action in three games and only took five offensive snaps last season. He didn’t attempt a single pass.

Browning did prove to be a quality backup in 2023 when Burrow missed the final seven games due to the wrist injury. The Bengals went 4-3 in the games Browning started, and in those sevens starts he had a passer rating of 99.1. Heading into 2023 training camp he was a huge question mark as he had never appeared in a regular season game in his first four NFL seasons and was slated to battle veteran Trevor Siemian for the backup spot, which he won.

Woodside and Thorne will likely compete for a spot on the practice squad.

Woodside was on the Bengals practice squad all last season except for the Dec. 15 game at the Tennessee Titans when he was elevated to the active roster, but was placed on the inactive list for that game,

Woodside was originally a seventh round pick of the Bengals in 2018, but was released during the final cut. He then signed with the Tennessee Titans and spent time with them either on their practice squad or the active roster from 2018-22, before being signed by the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 10, 2022. He played in 11 games for Tennessee in 2020 and 2021 and two games for Atlanta in 2022 and 2023. He has all of seven career pass attempts, four of which he completed for 34 yards.

Thorne was signed as an undrafted free agent on May 9.

Thorne spent three years at Michigan State (2020-2022) and the last two seasons at Auburn. At Michigan State he completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 6,493 yards, 49 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. In two seasons at Auburn he completed 62 percent of his passes for 4,468 yards, 37 youchowns and 19 interceptions. He was 199-of-317 for 2,713 yards, 21 touchdowns, and nine interceptions this past season.

BENGALS TRAINING CAMP POSITION PREVIEW SCHEDULE

July 7: QuarterbackJuly 8: Running BackJuly 9: Tight EndJuly 10: Wide ReceiverJuly 11: Offensive lineJuly 14: Defensive lineJuly 15: LinebackerJuly 16: SecondaryJuly 17: SpecialistsJuly 18: 5 questions facing the team entering training camp and a 53-player roster projection