By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Bengals quarterback Joe Germaine throws a pass in practice. (AP file photo) | ZOOM |

For such a relatively minor transaction, the Bengals' signing of quarterback Joe Germaine to the active roster Thursday caused a major stir.

Germaine, a former Ohio State star and St. Louis Rams draft choice, signed a three-year contract and became the fourth quarterback on the Bengals' 53-man roster.

Because the position is unsettled with the Bengals, every roster move involving a quarterback is viewed suspiciously.

"A lot of it has to do with retirement and benefits and all that," Germaine said.

But some players wondered aloud if Germaine would get the playing time Bengals president Mike Brown hinted at two months ago. Such a lineup change would prevent nine-game starter Jon Kitna from reaching a playing-time incentive worth $1.6 million next year.

Germaine's signing also appeared to further strain the relationships between the organization and backup quarterbacks Gus Frerotte and Akili Smith.

Bengals coach Dick LeBeau said Germaine's signing was done with an eye toward the future and didn't mean Germaine would play this season.

"It would be difficult because of the amount of knowledge a quarterback has to have," LeBeau said of playing Germaine, who signed a one-year practice-squad contract Oct. 16. "There's just not the opportunity, but you never say never. It would have to be a tough position for him to go into a game.

"He is an intelligent guy. He's worked just like he was going to start the next game since he got here."

The move could be interpreted as the first step toward forming a three-man quarterback crew for the next couple of seasons - Kitna, Germaine and a rookie, possibly Southern Cal's Carson Palmer.

Frerotte signed a one-year contract as a free agent and probably will not be asked to return. Smith wants out.

Brown and other members of the Bengals' front office aren't talking to reporters because of sensitive discussions taking place about the organization's future.

As a member of the practice squad, Germaine could have been signed to any team's active roster but was not.

Kitna, who has started the last nine games and given the Bengals their finest stretch of quarterback play since Boomer Esiason's 1997 swan song, continued Thursday to lean on his faith.

"Again, believe me, I'm telling you this because I know it is true," Kitna said. "If God wants me to finish the season as the quarterback of this football team, I'm going to, regardless of what they want to do upstairs. And if he doesn't, I'm not."

Kitna must play in 80 percent of the offensive snaps to earn a $1.625 million bonus in 2003.

Frerotte, who started Cincinnati's first three games before losing his job, said the Bengals signed Germaine to play him soon.

"Do you think they're paying him more money just because they like him? That would be nice," Frerotte said. "I'm not mad at Joe. Good for him. But why are they doing that when we have other issues, like receivers hurt who aren't going to play. If we lose another receiver during the game, we're going to have two. There are issues other than quarterbacks."

Smith, once the team's franchise quarterback, started Game 4 and hasn't played since.

"It makes no sense what we're doing," Smith said of Germaine's signing. "We have six tight ends, four quarterbacks, three kickers; we're hurting at (defensive back), we're hurting at receiver, yet we sign a quarterback. It doesn't make any sense to me. That's the way the Bengals do things, and we have to deal with it."

Smith is in the fourth year of a seven-year contract. He was paid a $10.8 million signing bonus in August 1999, and is approaching a point where the Bengals more easily will be able to absorb the hit to their salary cap.

If Smith were to be released June 1 or later, the Bengals would take a $1.54 million salary-cap hit in 2003 and a $3.1 million hit in 2004.

"There is no hope for me here," Smith said. "Kitna is playing well, and that makes me expendable. I hope to God that Mike Brown is ready to take that salary-cap hit."

Smith was benched in 2000, preventing him from reaching a passing-yards incentive that would have increased his contract's value.

"If (Kitna) gets any closer than that, Joe Germaine is going in the game. That's why they signed him," Smith said. "Everybody knows the kind of stuff that goes on around here. They could put Joe Germaine in the second half of the last game and say, 'We just wanted to see him.'"

Kitna has thrown 14 touchdown passes and four interceptions in the last seven games as a starter. The Bengals have scored 20 or more points in each of those seven games, a streak unmatched by them since 1985.

Germaine said he doesn't want to supplant Kitna. He also said he would do what he is told but wouldn't be totally comfortable running the offense on the field. He has had just one day of practice snaps in full-team work.

"I'm one of 53 guys here who thinks that Jon has done a great job this year and deserves to take all the snaps," Germaine said. "If anyone talks about his bonus, he deserves it. He has played tremendously well. I'm not trying to step in and distract him or this team."

Kitna will be close to bonus

Jon Kitna needs to play in 80 percent of the Bengals' offensive snaps this season to earn a $1.625 million bonus in 2003.

The Bengals have run 849 offensive plays in 13 games, which projects to 1,045 for the entire 16-game schedule.

Kitna has played 637 snaps, compared to 147 for Gus Frerotte and 65 for Akili Smith. If Kitna plays the remaining 196 projected snaps, he would finish with 833 snaps of the 1,045.

That comes out to 79.71 percent.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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