Sean Clifford kept his preseason momentum rolling Friday night, and Eagles fans got a quick reminder that another former Penn State quarterback is making noise.
Clifford helped the Cincinnati Bengals knock off the Eagles 30-13 in the preseason finale at Lincoln Financial Field, and he did it with a sharp, efficient showing. The former Nittany Lions starter from 2019-22 finished 5 of 9 for 53 yards, and he was directly involved in a pair of touchdown drives.
His best work came in the third quarter, when Cincinnati put together a 10-play, 70-yard scoring march. Clifford connected on throws of 17 and 19 yards to Charlie Jones before handling the red zone like a veteran. He recognized a blitz, adjusted the play, and fired a touchdown.
What a job by Sean Clifford. The QB4 gets almost no reps in camp, but saw the blitz, changes the play and throws a TD pass. pic.twitter.com/0hLyTZqBIN
- Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) August 29, 2026
That sequence fit right in with what Clifford had already shown earlier in the preseason. Last Saturday at Soldier Field, he went 10 of 15 for 126 yards and a touchdown in Cincinnati’s win over the Chicago Bears.
Clifford’s NFL path has been a winding one. He’s now in his fourth season and his second with the Bengals.
Penn State’s all-time leader in passing yards with 10,661 and touchdowns with 86, he entered the league as the Packers’ fifth-round pick, No. 149 overall, in the 2023 NFL draft. As a rookie, he backed up Jordan Love, then spent most of the 2024 season on Green Bay’s practice squad.
There’s also a connection that runs through the Eagles side of things. Clifford learned under former Packers assistant Sean Mannion, who is now Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator.
After being released by Green Bay in August 2025 during final roster cuts, Clifford landed on Cincinnati’s practice squad a month later. Now, though, his future with the Bengals appears shaky despite the strong summer. Bengals reporters’ 53-man roster projections have Cincinnati carrying only Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco at quarterback.
Josh Johnson has also put together a solid summer and started the Bengals’ final two preseason games. If he clears waivers, Cincinnati could circle back and keep him on the practice squad as the team’s inactive QB3.
For Clifford, the tape from this preseason should help. Whether he stays in Cincinnati or not, he made the most of his chance.
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