The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

For the fourth year in a row, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer has a new backup.

Much-traveled veteran J.T. O'Sullivan, who started eight games for the San Francisco 49ers in 2008, has reached agreement on a two-year contract. Financial details of the deal were not yet available.

O'Sullivan, 29, should be a good fit for the Cincinnati offense and, given Palmer's injury history, he could get some playing time for the Bengals.

A seven-year veteran, O'Sullivan began his NFL career in New Orleans, where he was a sixth-round pick in 2002. He was traded by the Saints to the Green Bay Packers in 2004 and has also played for the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions and 49ers. The Bengals will be O'Sullivan's ninth team in eight years in the league.
J.T. O'Sullivan highlights

Last season represented the most extended playing time that O'Sullivan, a favorite of then-offensive coordinator Mike Martz, has ever received. He played in nine games, with eight starts, and completed 128-of-220 passes for 1,618 yards with eight touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

Before last season, O'Sullivan had never started a game and had played in only five contests. For his career, O'Sullivan has completed 141-of-246 passes for 1,826 yards, with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The former Cal-Davis standout also played in NFL Europe in 2004.

Palmer is coming off a right elbow injury, which did not require surgery but limited him to four games, all starts, in 2008. His backup last season, Ryan Fitzpatrick, signed a three-year deal with the Buffalo Bills last week as a free agent. In 2006, Palmer's backup was Anthony Wright. Doug Johnson, was the No. 2 quarterback in 2007.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

Well, this is better than breaking the bank for someone like Grossman.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

I'm a 49er fan. JT O'Sullivan is the worst player I have ever seen in NFL history

/not kdding

I think he fumbled like 9 times a game last season to go with his 4 picks per outing.

Now obviously signings like this are irrelevant because if Palmer goes down, the Bengals are going down. So as the poster before mentioned, better than overpaying for a back-up like Grossman when you can sign a guy like O'Sullivan who you can claim in the media guide, is a QB. I just hope he is better at signing in the plays because otherwise expect runs by the fullback up the gut on 3rd and 14. The guy literally can't do anything right.

I'm not sure how you do it but the more I watched JT last season the more I wondered if the Niners wouldn't be better off playing without a QB. The guy is an absolute turnover machine. And it wasn't the rest of the teams fault. They won a bunch of games with Shaun Hill as the QB. Had the move to Hill been made earlier the Niners would of had a GREAT shot of keeping the Arizona Cardinals out of the play-offs altogether.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

Couldn't find the individual numbers but the 49ers did lead the league in fumbles last season thanks to O'Sullivan.

I was also reminded when looking at his stats that there is something else to look forward to when JT doesn't throw a pick or fumble. He also gets sacked as much as Jenna Jameson. He got tackled for a loss 32 times last season. With the same line and 68 more pass attempts, Hill got sacked 10 times less.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

The guy has started a little less than a dozen games in his career. You're being a little harsh don't you think?

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

He at least has an arm....something Fitzpatrick lacked.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

Good signing. O'Sullivan averaged a solid 7.1 yards per throw last season. Fitzpatrick averaged an atrocious 5.1. We upgraded this position for sure, IMO.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

Those couple of extra yards will come in handy considering that for every 2.5 completions he gets sacked, fumbles or throws a pick.

I saw it over and over. Niners get the ball on the 20. Pass one for 7.1 yards. Pass two for 7.1 yards. First down niners at the 34.2 yard line. Alright, JT is coming around, here we go. Next time he drops back to pass, the best they could hope for was a sack for about a loss of 11. 2nd and 21 from the 23. Two more passes of 7.1 yards and it was time to punt. That of course was if they were lucky enough to avoid one of his INTs or fumbles.

You do realize the guy is pushing 30 right? There is a reason he has started less than a dozen games in his career. He isn't 21 or 22.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

If Carson's not on the field we're screwed anyway... might as well avoid sinking a bunch of cash in a backup.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

Red, no one here is trying to say O'Sullivan is John freakin' Elway. We all understand O'Sullivan has turnover problems. My only point is that O'Sullivan is an upgrade over noodle arm Fitzpatrick.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

JT O'Sullivan's sounds like a killer place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day :beerme:

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

My only point is that a trainwreck that kills 21 really is no better than a trainwreck that kills 22.

In all seriousness I can't argue for one or the other as I don't know Fitzpatrick. Unless your name is Steve Sabol I can't imagine you really have seen that much of O'Sullivan and I know for a fact what you did see, if you saw it, wasn't pretty.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

Decent pick up. The Bengals continue to plug holes efficiently.

They actually seem to know what they are doing (for once).

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

How is it a decent pick-up to sign a guy who has shown nothing but the ability to lose games all by his lonesome? And how does signing a guy who is all but guaranteed to lose you the game if you put him in, plugging a hole, efficiently?

This seems to be a case of, we signed him, he must be good.

Re: The Bengals have just signed this year's backup QB.
 

I'm hoping we invest a second day pick into a QB to develop, and hopefully not a Jeff Rowe or Reggie McNeal.

Pat White, Graham Harrell, Hunter Cantwell, or Rhett Bomar could be options.