The 2023 season was not kind to the Cincinnati Bengals. After consecutive seasons of AFC Championship births and a Super Bowl appearance, the Bengals failed to make the playoffs entirely this season. Injuries played a large part in that. Joe Burrow got injured in training camp, which hampered his performance to begin the season. Once he finally got in a rhythm, a wrist injury ended up costing him the final seven games of the Bengals' season as they were in the midst of their playoff push. Star receiver Ja'Marr Chase missed some time. Cincy's best corner Chidobe Awuzie missed a couple of games and was recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season. Tee Higgins missed five games this season as well. There was a lot for the Bengals to overcome this season.
But that doesn't mean the Bengals won't be right back in playoff contention again in 2024. They shouldn't be as hampered with injuries as they were this season, especially regarding Joe Burrow. As long as he is right, the Bengals can compete for a Super Bowl. But they have to keep the rest of their roster as robust as it is while still adding to it through the draft and free agency. That means re-signing key members of their team that are slated to become free agents. Two pending free agents stand out among the rest as players the Bengals have to bring back by any means.
Tee Higgins, Wide Receiver
The Bengals' number one priority this offseason has to be bringing back Tee Higgins. Higgins gets overshadowed a bit by Ja'Marr Chase's greatness, but Higgins is exceptional in his own right. According to playerprofiler.com, Higgins averaged 1.73 yards per route run this season. That number may rank 42nd among wide receivers, but that's still a very solid mark considering Higgins battled injuries throughout this season and didn't have his starting quarterback for roughly half the season. In 2022, that number was at 2.09 yards per route run. In 2021, he was even better in that metric at 2.43 yards per route run.
If anyone is concerned that Higgins is not a number one receiver, those numbers should quell those concerns. If they don't, his numbers in games where Ja'Marr Chase doesn't play should do Higgins and his play justice.
Higgins' rookie contract is slated to expire after this season. He will become a free agent in March. Luckily, the Bengals have the means to bring him back. The Bengals have $62 million in cap space to spend in the offseason. Higgins will want to get paid like a top notch receiver, and the Bengals can reward him as such. If they cannot come to an agreement, they can always use the franchise tag as well to ensure he is on their roster for at least another season. The Bengals can literally not lose Higgins if they so desire. They should absolutely do that.
Chidobe Awuzie, Cornerback
Chidobe Awuzie was one of the better corners in the NFL in both 2021 and 2022. Unfortunately, his 2022 season was cut short due to a torn ACL, but Awuzie was locking up receivers before that unfortunate injury took place.
Awuzie wasn't quite the same in 2023 as he continued to recover from his torn ACL, and that really had a big impact on the Bengals' defense. Cincinnati ranked 27th in the NFL in EPA allowed per play defensively in 2023, a huge drop off from 2022 when they ranked eighth in that same metric. Awuzie not playing up to his standard is part of the drop, but so is allowing safety Jessie Bates III to walk in free agency and relying on a lot of young players in that secondary.
Those players should continue to improve, but they clearly aren't ready yet to anchor a great defense. Awuzie knows this system and has been very productive before his ACL tear. Cincinnati should absolutely bring him back if they can and hope time allows him to get back to his 2021 and 2022 form.
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