Former Penn State QB Sean Clifford Signs With New NFL Team

It’s a homecoming for Sean Clifford.

The former Penn State quarterback was signed to the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad on Tuesday, according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Clifford attended St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati before playing for six seasons as a Nittany Lion, marking a return to his hometown to play for the team he grew up rooting for. He joins former Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley, who he threw passes to in 2022.

This marks Clifford’s second professional team after spending the previous two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, who selected him in the fifth round in 2023. Though he only played in two regular season games for Green Bay, Clifford saw playing time throughout each of his three preseasons with the Packers. This year, he completed nine of 17 passes for 44 yards and added 15 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

Bengals starter Joe Burrow went down with a toe injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday and is expected to miss a minimum of three months, causing the team to look for more depth at the position. They also signed Mike White, who spent last season with the Buffalo Bills, to the practice squad. Other quarterbacks on the roster include Jake Browning, who filled in after Burrow went down, and Brett Rypien.

Though Clifford was never able to carve out a role with Green Bay, he’ll have a chance to contribute this season if he can work his way up the depth chart.