Former Penn State football quarterback Sean Clifford has a new home in the NFL.
Clifford played in all three preseason games for the Green Bay Packers, who selected him 149th overall in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was a practice squad quarterback for the team since arriving in Green Bay, and was ultimately cut ahead of the 2025 regular season. His nine completions for 44 yards out of 17 attempts in the preseason wasn't enough to keep him around.
However, the former Nittany Lion had a beacon of hope following Week 2. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow sustained a turf toe injury against the Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 14. It will require surgery and a minimum of three months of Burrow on the sidelines.
The Bengals had no other option but to seek out another QB around the league. Backup quarterback Jake Browning was where their depth chart both started and ended immediately after Burrow's injury. Now, Brett Rypien will take the leap from the practice squad to serve as Cincinnati's backup while new faces file in.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter early on Tuesday, the Bengals signed Clifford to its practice squad.
With Joe Burrow sidelined a minimum of three months, the Bengals are signing former Packers QB Sean Clifford to their practice squad, per source. pic.twitter.com/4pK2AI99pn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 16, 2025
Cincinnati Bengals sign former Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford to practice squad
Clifford isn't the only new quarterback in town. Cincinnati also signed Mike White to their practice squad, who was previously with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills. After signing with the Bills in January 2025, they eventually cut White before the regular season.
What sets White apart from Clifford, despite hopping around the league, is experience as on the field. Since 2021, he played in 15 games and averaged a 61.4 completion percentage. He threw 199 passes for 2,247 yards, nine touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Out of his 15 appearances, White started seven games in his career.
Clifford can't the say the same. He saw time in two games with zero starts in 2023, throwing once for 37 yards. On the ground, he attempted three carries, but tallied a net total of -2 yards.
In Clifford's favor, though, he isn't an entirely new face to the Bengals. In 2023, he worked out for the team ahead of his draft. He also attended St. Xavier High School just outside of Cincinnati.
As a Nittany Lion from 2017-23, he had a 61.4 completion percentage, throwing 833 passes for 10,661 yards and 86 touchdowns. He had an additional 388 carries for 1,073 yards and 15 touchdowns. Clifford made 46 starts out of 51 appearances in the blue and white.