Following their appearance in Super Bowl 56, the Cincinnati Bengals head into the upcoming offseason with multiple question marks across the board.

The Bengals had quite the campaign over the 2021 season. They surpassed expectations by a wide margin as they dethroned the Pittsburgh Steelers for the top spot in the AFC North and also pulled off a pair of upset playoff wins en route to a third Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Although they fell short in the end against the Los Angeles Rams, the season from quarterback Joe Burrow and company sure will be remembered for quite some time.

Bengals owner Mike Brown is set to have a hefty task ahead to prove that the team’s triumphant run to the Super Bowl will not be a one-hit-wonder one.

The Bengals enter the offseason with several notable dilemmas on both sides of the ball, and in order to give themselves a quality chance at repeating as AFC North champions, they sure must go out to make these three moves in the coming months.

Three moves the Bengals must make during the 2022 NFL offseason

3. Sign Rob Gronkowski

When now-former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady opted to call it a career earlier this month, all signs pointed to tight end Rob Gronkowski being the next in line to hang up his cleats. Gronkowski only elected to come out of retirement to reunite with Brady in Tampa Bay.

However, Gronkowski fueled speculation ahead of Super Bowl 56 that his playing days in the NFL may not be done just yet, as he noted that he would be much open to tagging alongside Burrow.

“I kinda like this young buck quarterback,” Gronkowski told Autograph NFTs. “It's Joe Burrow. I watched him in college. I just love the way he presents himself out on the football field. In that pocket, he's just so calm and he just slings it out on the field. I just love his swag, too.

“If I had to pick a quarterback, I would go with the young buck Joe Burrow. He's killing it right now in the game.”

The Bengals do have a decision to make at the tight end position, as C.J. Uzomah will become an unrestricted free agent in March. He is just coming off of a season where he recorded career highs in receptions (49) and receiving yards (493).

Spotrac projects a market value for Uzomah that centers on a three-year deal worth $24.6 million ($8.2 million average annual value) in the offseason. If the Bengals decide to let him walk, they could go all out to make a win-now move by bringing in Gronkowski on a one-year deal. He proved this past season that he still has plenty left in the tank, whether as a pass-catcher or pass-blocker.

2. Bolster the linebacker depth

Barring any major surprises in the offseason, the Bengals will roll out both Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt at the middle linebacker positions next season. They showed promise once again this past year as stout tacklers and in being productive in the pass defense.

The Bengals will have questions to answer regarding the team’s depth at the position, especially as Markus Bailey (22.7 percent) was the only backup middle linebacker to feature in at least 20 percent of snaps on defense over the recent campaign. The team wound up placing multiple linebackers on injured reserve over the season, including Joe Bachie (torn ACL) and Jordan Evans (torn ACL).

Whether in the draft or in the free agency period, the Bengals must shore up this position.

1. Retool the offensive line, beginning with the right tackle position

It is evident that the Bengals will need to revamp their offensive line in the coming offseasons in order to give some more breathing room for Burrow in the backfield. While they may not go on to completely rejuvenate the offensive line in a single offseason, they must at the least address the right tackle position in the coming months.

Riley Reiff was the Bengals’ starter at right tackle until he was sidelined in December due to a season-ending ankle injury. He had his ups and downs over the season, which included allowing four sacks in 12 games played.

Isaiah Prince earned the call to replace Reiff at right tackle — and he had his struggles in the latter stages of the season. From the three sacks allowed in the regular season to the six total pressures given up in Super Bowl 56, he had quite a difficult time in matching up against opposing teams’ left defensive ends.

As Reiff is set to become an unrestricted free agent, the Bengals may very well find a new starter at the position in the offseason. They will have a multitude of options to fill the soon-to-be vacancy, from going all out to sign longtime tackle Trent Brown in free agency to once again relying on the draft to fix their offensive line needs.

It sure is expected to be a crucial offseason for the Bengals this year.