The Cincinnati Bengals had one of the more disappointing seasons of any NFL team during the 2023 campaign. It wasn’t through any epic collapse or poor performance, though. The team has Super Bowl aspirations entering the season, and it looked as though they had turned a corner and were well on their way to being one of the contenders in the AFC after starting 1-3, but then, disaster struck.
NFL: Bengals May Need To Re-Tool This Off-Season
New | Q&A with DJ Reader on being pissed after his injury, how his view changed, uncertain free agency and moments he’ll never forget.
Genuine, vulnerable, reflective and inspirational, wanted to let Reader’s words speak for themselves.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) January 12, 2024
In a Week 11 Thursday Night game against Baltimore (and perhaps before), quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a wrist injury that wound up being season-ending. It was a devastating blow, as the team had won four of their previous five games to get back in contention, and were actually up 10-7 on the Ravens when Burrow left the game.
Jake Browning was Burrow’s replacement, and he performed quite well given the circumstances. Due to playing in the best division in the NFL, the Bengals finished in last place in their division, but wound up with a winning record at 9-8.
The upcoming off-season should be an interesting one. The team is projected to have over $60 million in cap space, thanks in large part to a handful of important contributors becoming free agents. Which ones will they bring back, and will they let either of their wide receivers walk?
Three Key Free Agents From The 2023 Bengals Roster
NEWS: Impending free agent Tee Higgins says he wants to return to the #Bengals, it’s his number one option.
“Them telling me that they want me to come back, man, it’s family,” about @JoeyB & @Real10jayy__, “personally would love to be back playing with those guys.”
(Via B/R) pic.twitter.com/kY3GhlmDiz
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 14, 2024
Here are three key players from the Bengals’ 2023 roster that will be free to test the open market this spring:
Tee Higgins – WR
Higgins and fellow wideout Tyler Boyd are two of the many weapons from the Bengals’ offense that will be free agents. Higgins is younger and has been more productive during his time in Cincinnati, and it stands to reason that the team will make bringing him back one of their biggest priorities before the start of next season.
Higgins missed five games during 2023 while dealing with various injuries, and had a down year without Burrow throwing him the ball. He managed over 650 yards and scored 5 touchdowns.
D.J. Reader – DT
Reader has been the team’s starting defensive tackle for the past four seasons, but had his 2023 campaign cut short due to a torn right quad. He is entering free agency for the second time in his career, but what his value is will be determined by his age (30) and the fact that he is coming off of a major injury.
Reader had 34 tackles and hit the quarterback 7 times in his 14 starts this past season.
Every Single Tight End On The Roster
The Bengals employed 4 tight ends during the 2023 season, and all of them have expiring contracts that will make them NFL free agents this spring. None of them had an eye-popping output this year, with Tanner Hudson leading the way with 39 catches and 352 receiving yards. But each of them was utilized by the offense, as they all played in 21% or more of the snaps on the year.
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