Baun would be switching positions from outside linebacker to inside linebacker, per the desires of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Baun would also be playing in an entirely new — and cold — environment after spending the first 4 seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints in the weatherproof confines of the Caesar’s Superdome.

While the Eagles were taking a middling if negligible risk for that amount of money, it was Baun’s NFL career that was hanging in the balance. Just 9 months later, it’s a different world as Baun’s standout play has put his name among the NFL’s best at his position and turned into an attractive free agent option for 2025.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine thinks Baun should be a target for the struggling Cincinnati Bengals to help shore up a defense that has essentially tanked the season for a team that entered 2024 with Super Bowl hopes.

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Unlike newer teams in the league, the Bengals have a rich history at quarterback, with six different quarterbacks generating Pro Bowl seasons in their colors, of which two were awarded an NFL MVP. 

Do older, revered heads beat out the young up-and-comers? We shall see in this list of the 10 best Bengal QBs. 

10. Jake Browning (2021-Present)

GettyJake Browning.

Seven games is all it took for Browning to win over the hearts and minds of Bengals fans. When Joe Burrow went down with a wrist injury in Week 10 against the Baltimore Ravens, Browning took over with most believing that Cincinnati’s season was effectively finished. Instead, Browning put in some excellent displays, including a 3-touchdown win against local rivals the Cleveland Browns to go a very respectable 4-3. While this was not enough to make the postseason, that can be attributed far more to the Bengals’ slow start with incumbent starter Burrow rather than any poor play from Browning.

9. Greg Cook (1969-1974)

Wikimedia CommonsGreg Cook in 1969.

Perhaps the biggest question mark in Bengals franchise history. Cook put together an excellent rookie season in 1969 after taking over for the injured John Stofa. The deep-ball threat set rookie records for yards per attempt and yards per completion en route to being awarded AFL Rookie of the Year. Sadly, an undiagnosed torn rotator cuff ultimately ended up putting a lid on Cook’s highly promising career after that just one year (minus a failed 1973 comeback) but those who are old enough will remember some spectacular plays from Cook’s one and only starting season as a Bengal — and indeed as a professional QB.

8. Virgil Carter (1970-1973)

Heavy on Bengals with AIVirgil Carter likeness.

Coincidentally, Cook’s subsequent replacement post-shoulder injury, Virgil Carter, also succeeds him on this list. In 1970, Carter had a strong first year as a starter followed by an excellent sophomore season in 1971, in which he led the league in completion percentage (62.2%) and threw for a then-impressive 1,624 yards in a very run-centric league. Carter was eventually replaced by the remarkable Ken Anderson, who became one of the greatest-ever Bengals, but his contribution certainly more than grants him a spot on this top 10 list.

7. Jon Kitna (2001-2005)

GettyJon Kitna.

After winning, losing, winning-back and subsequently losing the Bengals’ starting quarterback job, Kitna’s time on the team was anything but stable. It was also not necessarily the most fruitful for the franchise, with the team going 18-28 (0.319) with Kitna at the helm. He was very much a “fine” quarterback for the Bengals in his three years starting. And there were certainly some good moments for the Central Washington alum, such as a 26 touchdown, 8-8 season in 2003.

6. Jeff Blake (1994-1999)

GettyJeff Blake.

One of the two gap-bridgers between the careers of Boomer Esiason and Carson Palmer, along with the aforementioned Kitna, Jeff Blake’s Bengals career is really one of two halves. After being recruited into the organization as replacement for David Klinger, Blake impressed enough to win the starting job, and shined in back-to-back seasons in 1995 and 1996, earning a Pro Bowl nod in the former and going 15-16 across the two years.

Sadly, from 1997 onwards, things took a turn for the worse; Blake’s performance dropped, leading to Esiason replacing him for the final five games of the 1997, and being dropped in favor for Neil O’Donnell in 1998. Although he never made it big in Cincy, Blake certainly provided some good moments, and was an excellent stopover QB for a Bengals team that was soon to get three back-to-back bona fide franchise quarterbacks, starting with N0. 5.

5. Carson Palmer (2003-2010)

GettyCarson Palmer.

Given his pre-draft expectations and reputation, Palmer ought to be higher on this list. Some, including Palmer himself, believe the organization failed him, while others consider him to have just not played up to the standard many people thought he would reach. But make no mistake, Palmer is by no means a draft bust. A two-time Pro Bowler who completed at least 60% of his passes in all but one season, Palmer posted 20-plus touchdowns in five seasons and guided the Bengals to a 0.500 or better record in three. His departure left a bitter taste in many people’s mouths, handing a trade request at the end of the 2010 season that resulted in a half-season long holdout and culminated in him being traded to the Oakland Raiders. 

4. Andy Dalton (2011-2019)

GettyAndy Dalton.

Palmer’s very capable, indeed perhaps even excellent replacement — Andy Dalton. The “Red Rifle” had enormous initial success with long-time head coach Marvin Lewis, the extent of which had not been seen since the days of Ken Anderson. Dalton became the first-ever Bengals quarterback to register winning seasons in each of their first five years, reaching the playoffs in all five. His detractors may point to his postseason record, where he failed to log a single playoff win in those five years. Regardless, the three-time Pro Bowler holds Cincinnati’s franchise record for touchdown passes thrown and brought genuine success to a previously struggling organization over his nine-year tenure.

3. Boomer Esiason (1984-1992)

GettyCBS sportscaster and former Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason in 2022.

Boomer Esiason, most recently of CBS’ “NFL Today” prior to his somewhat controversial departure, is one of three Bengals quarterbacks to have gotten to (but not won) the promised land — the Super Bowl. After a tough couple of years to start his career, coming out of the University of Maryland, Esiason strung together some excellent seasons in his 1985-1990 prime. During that time, he led the league in yards per attempt on two occasions and passer rating on one. However, the clear highlight of his career was his appearance in Super Bowl XXII at the end of the 1988 season, where the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy was snatched away by a 92 yard fourth-quarter drive from Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. Esiason was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025.

2. Ken Anderson (1971-1986)

GettyKen Anderson.

The man many consider to be the Bengals’ greatest ever QB — and was thought to be almost undisputedly up until recently — has every individual accolade possible. An NFL MVP; Offensive Player of the Year; 1st team All-Pro; 4 Pro Bowls; both passing yards and completions leader on multiple occasions; even the winner of the coveted Comeback Player of the Year — Ken Anderson has it all. Except, of course, a Super Bowl — where he and the Bengals lost to eventual multiple-time World Champion party poopers for Cincinnati, Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVI in 1982.

1. Joe Burrow (2019-Present)

GettyJoe Burrow.

Perhaps a controversial choice, given both his youth and the short amount of games accrued in his Bengals career. But at some point, one has to trust the eye test, and no one passes it like Joe Burrow, who, ironically, feels like the reincarnation of two-time Bengal Super Bowl defeater Joe “Cool” Montana. Burrow, who has already been to a Super Bowl and is the only man not named Tom Brady to defeat All-World megastar Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs, holds the franchise records in completion percentage and quarterback rating. Were it not for injuries in two out of his first four seasons in the league, he may well have a Lombardi Trophy sitting on his shelf right now.

Find out who just missed the list and share your 10 best in the comments!

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Off to 1-4 start to the 2024 regular season, Cincinnati faces enough of an uphill battle at this point that it’s more than fair to start looking at how to best maximize assets moving forward — meaning pretty much everyone but Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase can count their jobs up for grabs.

The most valuable asset on the team outside of Burrow and Chase is wide receiver Tee Higgins, who is playing on the franchise tag of $21.816 million for 2024 and spent the offseason demanding a trade after his hopes of an extension were dashed.

ESPN’s Ben Solak put forth a trade proposal on October 8 between the Bengals and Washington Commanders that brings Higgins to D.C. in return for conditional third round picks in 2025 and 2026.

After sitting out the first 2 games of the season with a hamstring injury, Higgins has 18 receptions for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns in 3 games.

“One of the biggest sellers at last year’s deadline should be one of the most aggressive buyers at this year’s deadline,” Solak wrote. “With rookie QB Jayden Daniels looking like the real deal, the Commanders can now aggressively spend to build a contending team and maximize his rookie contract window. Higgins is awesome on those vertical one-on-ones that are a huge part of Daniels’ game and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, and he brings a size dimension that’s currently lacking on the Commanders’ receiving corps.”

Higgins’ Offseason Filled With Drama Over Contract

The Bengals went into the season with Super Bowl hopes but an offseason filled with drama — including essentially no training camp time for Chase or Higgins — has them off to a 1-4 start.

Higgins was a second-round pick by the Bengals in 2020 (No. 33 overall) out of Clemson and signed a 4-year, $8.68 million rookie contract. He had over 900 receiving yards as a rookie followed by back-to-back seasons over 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022.

In a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, Higgins had four receptions for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In 2023, Higgins’ production dropped off dramatically with career lows in receptions (42) receiving yards (656) and touchdowns (5). He also missed a career-high 6 games with rib and hamstring injuries.

Higgins’ Market Value Skyrocketed in Offseason

It turns out that the Bengals could have signed Higgins right after the end of the season for what now seems like a bargain price.

According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Higgins was looking for a 3-year, $70 million contract extension similar to the 3-year, $71.5 million contract extension signed by Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman in February 2024.

In the ensuing months, wide receiver contracts went into the stratosphere, with 5 of the 6 biggest contracts for the position in NFL history signed in that stretch — and with Chase still seeking out his own mega-contract.

As that money went out, Higgins’ value went up — he would no doubt challenge veteran Terry McLaurin for the No. 1 wide receiver spot on the Commanders from the moment he stepped in the locker room.

According to Spotrac, Higgins’ market value now translates to a 5-year, $98.5 million contract — an average annual value of $19.7 million per year.

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That’s when football will be an Olympic medal event for the first time with men’s and women’s flag football — 5-on-5 competition on a 50-yard field with no linemen.

For 2028 to be a success, the Olympic Committee needs to make sure the sport’s biggest stars are on display — something the NFL was already leaning into with an ad showing Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and Global Flag Football Ambassador Jalen Hurts lighting the Olympic cauldron in the Los Angeles Coliseum by throwing a lit football into the stadium.

The major hurdle now seems to be how an NFL player might pull off playing Flag Football in the Olympics at the same time training camp would be starting — something most head coaches would be loathe to have happen. It’s an issue that will have to be hashed out between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

“The amount of enthusiasm that we’ve seen among our players or more broadly for flag football in ’28 . . . has been remarkable,” NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Miller said on Aug. 19. “Conversations are continuing to go on with the (NFL) Players Association, with players themselves … but obviously the hope would be that players who want to participate in the Olympics and represent their country have that opportunity to do so. … It is something that we’re working on actively.”

‘Disrespectful’ to Hand NFL Players Olympics Spots

Quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2022 World Games and was the MVP of the Americas Continental championship in 2023 after Team USA went 7-0. He’s also not a fan of NFL players being handed spots in the 2028 Olympics.

“I think it’s disrespectful that they just automatically assume that they’re able to just join the Olympic team because of the person that they are,” Doucette told The Athletic on Aug. 18. “They didn’t help grow this game to get to the Olympics. Give the guys who helped this game get to where it’s at their respect.”

Doucette might find himself out of a job pretty quickly if any of the quarterbacks who have expressed interest in being Olympians decide to show up for tryouts — a list that includes Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Hurts.

Burrow even proposed reuniting with his teammates on LSU’s 2019 national championship team as Olympians with Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson joining him on Team USA.

NFL Stars Have Long History of Olympic Success

NFL stars are no strangers to Olympic success — Canton Bulldogs tailback Jim Thorpe won gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.

The last NFL player to win a gold medal at the Olympics was Oakland Raiders wide receiver James Jett, who was part of Team USA’s 4 x 100 meter relay team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

In all, 15 NFL players have won Olympic gold medals, with the most notable of those being Thorpe and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver “Bullet” Bob Hayes, who won the 100-meter dash and the 4 x 100 meter relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Hayes, like Thorpe, is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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If the Washington Commanders are serious about their franchise rebuild, they should pursue Higgins and have an offer in place for him that can be delivered — by whatever means — the moment the Bengals’ season comes to an end.

What that contract would look like depends on how he performs in 2024, but according to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Higgins was looking for a 3-year, $70 million contract extension similar to the 3-year, $71.5 million contract extension signed by Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman in February 2024.

Pittman’s contract came with $46 million in guaranteed money.

Higgins Spent Offseason in Conflict With Bengals

Higgins spent part of the offseason in a standoff with the Bengals over a contract extension, which he didn’t receive. He spent the other part of the offseason demanding a trade, which didn’t happen either.

Now he’s playing under the franchise tag with extra motivation because his performance in 2024 will largely inform the size and length of his next contract.

Higgins, a second-round pick by the Bengals in 2020 (No. 33 overall) out of Clemson, signed a 4-year, $8.68 million rookie contract and then had over 900 receiving yards as a rookie followed by back-to-back seasons over 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022.

In a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2022 Super Bowl, Higgins had four receptions for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In 2023, Higgins’ production dropped off dramatically, with career lows in receptions (42) receiving yards (656) and touchdowns (5). He also missed a career-high six games with rib and hamstring injuries.

Commanders Have Largely Unproven WR Room

The Commanders have a rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels, who is at his best throwing deep balls and only one proven wide receiver, veteran Terry McLaurin.

Unfortunately for McLaurin, he has spent a good chunk of his prime playing on terrible teams in Washington, where he’s had 4 consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards. Beyond that, the Commanders have been lacking at the position. That’s despite drafting a wide receiver in the first round of the 2022 draft in Penn State’s Jahan Dotson, who has been a bust to this point.

There is still a scenario in which McLaurin could end up on the Commanders in 2024.

The reason the Bengals didn’t want to listen to trade offers in the offseason, despite Higgins’ requests, is because with a healthy Joe Burrow at quarterback and another starting wide receiver in Ja’Marr Chase they’re Super Bowl contenders.

Burrow, however, has been notoriously frail throughout his career, suffering season-ending injuries in two of his four seasons so far. Should that happen again, which is at least a 50/50 proposition at this point, Higgins will likely be on the table.

Even if the Commanders aren’t in contention at that point, they could pull off a trade for Higgins similar to the one they did with in 2023 when they shipped defensive end Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears at mid-season and the Bears signed Sweat to a 4-year, $98 million contract.

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Cook, 28, hasn’t signed with a team yet this offseason after an unusually quiet 2023 season with the New York Jets. The former Minnesota Vikings star had four-straight 1,000-yard seasons going into 2023, and Cook believes he can get back to that level.

“I’ve got it all,” Cook explained to KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson in April. “The tools are still here. I didn’t really get no reps last year. So, the legs are fresh, so the resume speaks for itself. I’m still Dalvin Cook. I’m still that guy. “For me, I don’t like to toot my own horn. I just like to go out there, put my helmet on and line up on the grass.”

The Bengals have Zack Moss returning as the lead back after a 794-yard, five-touchdown season. Cincinnati traded Mixon,  who had 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns, to the Houston Texans in March.

After Moss, the Bengals have relatively unproven running backs in Chase Brown and Trayveon Williams. Neither Brown nor Williams have eclipsed 200 yards in a season.

Dalvin Cook Exceeded 2 Bengals Backs in Down Year

Cook has 6,207 yards and 47 touchdowns in his career, and he has 236 catches for 1,872 yards and five touchdowns. The ex-Florida State star could relieve Moss and give quarterback Joe Burrow a solid target out of the backfield.

Cook had a career-low 214 yards on 67 carries for the Jets in 2023 because the team opted to give starter Breece Hall the lion’s share of the carries. That didn’t thwart other teams’ interest in Cook, who left the Jets via a release request and joined the Baltimore Ravens for the playoffs.

“I think last year was really like a learning curve for me,” Cook told Wilson. ” I got kind of itchy. At the time it was coming. the season. It was where I wanted to go and now it’s about the opportunities are going to come.”

Bengals Can Afford Dalvin Cook

That opportunity might not come with a big contract — even the equivalent of Cook’s $7 million deal with the Jets in 2023. Cook once had a five-year, $63 million contract with the Vikings, which led to the team cutting him last year.

Cincinnati can easily pay Cook at least $7 million amid $23.54 million in available salary cap space. In addition, Cook wants to play for a playoff-caliber team, based on his Jets-Ravens transition. The Bengals are two seasons removed from a Super Bowl appearance with many of the same key players on the roster.

“Yeah, you always have to be prepared for the opportunity,” Cook said about possible opportunities via Wilson. “For me, I’m a veteran in the league.”

“I know what it takes to be successful in this league. I know who Dalvin Cook is and I know how I want to perform and what I want to do,” Cook added. “Like you said, stay ready so you ain’t got to get ready.”

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Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine proposes that the Bengals trade Higgins plus draft capital for Minnesota Vikings superstar wideout Justin Jefferson. In Ballentine’s proposed trade, the Bengals give up Higgins and both a first and third-round pick in 2025.

Jefferson remains in contract talks with the Vikings, which leaves his future in doubt. The Bengals could pounce and reconnect Jefferson with his past as he could reunite with fellow former LSU stars quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

They helped the Tigers dominate in 2019 with 48.4 points and 568.9 total yards per game en route to an unbeaten national title at 15-0. Cincinnati could have an instant offensive juggernaut with Burrow throwing to Chase and Jefferson.

“If they were reunited, they would undoubtedly do the same to the league,” Ballentine wrote. “The Bengals’ battery of Burrow and Chase is already one of the best quarterback-wide receiver connections in the league when they are both healthy. Adding Jefferson to that mix would be unfair to defenses around the league.”

“Of course, that’s why the salary cap makes it incredibly difficult to devote that much money to a quarterback and two receivers,” Ballentine added. “Both Jefferson and Chase are projected to hit over $30.2 million per year and Burrow’s contract is worth $55 million in annual average value.”

“It’s the exact predicament that makes it difficult for the Bengals to extend Tee Higgins beyond the one-year franchise tag when they know a Chase extension is imminent,” Ballentine continued.

Bengals Would Need Spend Big to Land Justin Jefferson

Cincinnati has $23.54 million left in salary cap space for this year. The Bengals have a projected $57.23 million for 2025 with key free agent needs ahead. While Chase can’t become a free agent until 2026, the Bengals will likely have to extend him sooner or later as Ballentine pointed out.

“Ultimately, it’s a move that might just be too rich for the Bengals. Dedicating this much draft capital and cap flexibility to Jefferson might cripple their ability to build a championship roster,” Ballentine wrote.

“Still, the offense would be downright scary, and the compensation would be tempting for the Vikings given Higgins’ talent and the picks that come along with him,” Ballentine added.

Bengals Paring Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson Would be ‘All-Time Great’

Jefferson isn’t just tempting for the Bengals based on what he did with Burrow and Chase in the Bayou. The Vikings superstar is arguably the best wide receiver in the game.

Jefferson eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons, and he averages 15 yards per reception. He also has 30 touchdowns for his career and never less than five in a season. The NFL has awarded Jefferson’s prowess with Offensive Player of the Year, three All-Pro honors, and three Pro Bowl appearances.

Chase is a dangerous receiver in his own right amid three-straight 1,000-yard seasons to open his career. He had 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

At LSU in 2019, Chase and Jefferson made Burrow’s job easy with a combined 3,320 yards and 38 touchdowns alone.

“Teaming up Jefferson and Chase would be one of the all-time great pairings,” Balletine wrote.

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One of those solutions might have been found in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft in tight end Tanner McLachlan (No. 194 overall). PFF’s Nick Baumgardner has McLachlan targeted as one of a group of possible “sleeper” rookies who could make an instant impact.

“The Bengals double dipped at TE on Day 3, also grabbing Iowa’s Erick All, an athletic and versatile player, in the fourth before getting McLachlan in the sixth,” Baumgardner wrote. “I actually liked McLachlan better but can see a situation where both guys make something happen. A former basketball player with reliable hands, McLachlan is really good off the ball and in the middle of the field after the catch.”

McLachlan’s Unusual Path to the NFL

McLachlan is one of the few NFL players to come out of Canada, playing high school football at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, before spending four seasons at Division I FCS Southern Utah. He only had 15 receptions for 168 receiving yards from 2018 to 2021 but redshirted in 2018, missed the 2020 fall season due to the pandemic and sat out 2021 with a torn ACL.

McLachlan transferred to the University of Arizona in 2022 and played for the Wildcats for two seasons, with 34 receptions for 456 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in 2022 and 45 receptions for 528 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2023 as he was named honorable mention All-Pac-12.

In just two seasons at Arizona, McLachlan’s 79 receptions broke Rob Gronkowski’s school career record for receptions by a tight end.

At the NFL combine, McLachlan checked in at 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein had him projected as a 4th or 5th round pick.

“McLachlan is a slightly challenging evaluation, as his measurables and traits don’t really match the intangibles and effort he puts on tape,” Zierlein wrote. “He plays with the spirit of an in-line tight end and flashes what it takes to execute blocks, but he’s missing the mass and play strength for one to confidently project him as a pro blocker at this point. While McLachlan has short arms and average speed, he still finds ways to go get the football outside his frame and does whatever it takes to add yards after catch. There are boxes that go unchecked, but his ‘whatever it takes’ mentality is the kind of intangible that often turns prospects into pros.”

Who Will Start at Tight End for Bengals in 2024?

The Bengals currently have five tight ends listed on their roster including two 2024 draft picks in All and McLachlan, but it’s seven-year veteran Mike Gesicki who is topping the depth chart — for now.

Gesicki had over 700 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons with the Miami Dolphins in 2020 and 2021 but hasn’t had over 400 receiving yards in either of the last two seasons, including 29 receptions for 244 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns with the New England Patriots in 2024.

Gesicki was a second-round pick by the Dolphins in 2018 and signed a 1-year, $2.5 million contract with the Bengals in March 2024.

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Price announced his retirement on his Instagram account. The Bengals selected Price, a center, in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft with the No. 21 overall pick. Price played six seasons for six different teams and last played in a game in 2022 for the Arizona Cardinals.

From Price: “In the blink of an eye, everything can be taken away. On April 24th I had emergency pulmonary embolism surgery to remove a saddle clot that was entering both of my lungs. As a healthy 29 year old, an unprovoked pulmonary embolism with no further medical explanation is terrifying. I am truly thankful to be alive today. Unfortunately, I will be retiring from the NFL as the risk of an internal bleed while on blood thinners creates tremendous risk.

“I am truly thankful for the opportunity to have played in some of the greatest atmospheres around the world. I am thankful to have trained and played alongside men who will continue to make Pro Bowls, All Pro Rosters and Hall of Fame recognitions.”

Bengals Selected Price in First Round in 2018

Price played high school football at Austintown Fitch High School in Austintown, Ohio, where he was a 4-star recruit before signing with Ohio State.

At Ohio State, Price had one of the greatest careers for an offensive lineman in school history. He was a three-time All-Big Ten pick, two-time Associated Press All-American, won a College Football Playoff national championship and as a senior in 2017 won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center and was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Price started 10 games as a rookie for the Bengals in 2018 and made the PFWA All-Rookie Team but only started 9 games over the next two seasons before the Bengals traded him to the New York Giants in exchange for defensive tackle B.J. Hill.

Price started 15 games for the Giants in 2021 then started 11 games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2022 before spending 2023 on the practice squads for the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys.

Who Will Start at Center for Bengals in 2024?

Two-time Super Bowl champion Ted Karras has started every game at center for the Bengals the last two seasons. Karras is in the final year of a 3-year, $18 million contract he signed with Cincinnati in March 2022.

Karras is also a unique piece of NFL history — he’s a third-generation NFL player following his grandfather, Ted Karras Sr., father, Ted Karras Jr., and great uncles Lou Karras and Pro Football Hall of Famer Alex Karras.

Alex Karras, a 9-time NFL All-Pro defensive tackle, holds a unique place in pop culture history as he’s arguably more famous for his lengthy film and TV career. Karras’ most well-known roles were in the classic comedy “Blazing Saddles” and on the long-running sitcom “Webster” for 150 episodes as retired football star George Papadopoulos.

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The move took some guts, considering Mixon is coming off his fourth career 1,000-yard season on the ground. But it also just earned some recognition from Bleacher Report analyst Brent Sobleski on May 24.

“Zack Moss took an opportunity with the Indianapolis Colts, as the organization squabbled over a contract with lead back Jonathan Taylor, and ran with it,” Sobleski began after labeling the Moss signing one of the six best “value” contracts of 2024 free agency.

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One trade proposal involving Higgins would create an electrifying new quarterback-wide receiver duo in the AFC and give the Bengals high value for a player who seems destined to leave after the season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine proposed a trade that would send Higgins and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick.

Higgins still hasn’t signed his franchise tender and is holding out of OTAs after multiple trade requests in the offseason.

Higgins, Lawrence Have Long History Together

Higgins and Lawrence were a historic QB-WR duo in college at Clemson, where they played together for two seasons, winning a College Football Playoff national championship following the 2018 season then making it back to the CFP national championship game following the 2019 season, where they lost to LSU and current Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

Once Lawrence became the starting quarterback early in his true freshman season, Higgins’ career took off. Higgins had 2,103 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns over two seasons with Lawrence and was a two-time All-ACC selection — he had 1,167 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior in 2019.

Higgins was selected with the first pick of the second round in the 2020 NFL draft (No. 33 overall) and Lawrence was the No. 1 overall pick one year later in 2021.

Would Higgins Impact Bengals’ Team Chemistry?

Ballentine accounts for Higgins possibly throwing off the team chemistry for the Bengals in 2024 — a year in which the team should be a Super Bowl contender with a healthy Burrow back in the fold after he missed the final seven games of 2023 with season-ending wrist surgery.

“If this were a Madden franchise, it would make some sense to push the chips to the middle of the table and have Higgins play on the one-year tag,” Ballentine wrote. “But the human element and the frustration that comes with playing without long-term financial stability could get in the way of that plan.”

One player could make the decision on whether or not to trade Higgins a moot point — if 2024 third-round pick Jermaine Burton shows he can be a legitimate WR2 option behind Ja’Marr Chase, like Higgins has in the past.

That’s a big ask, though. Higgins had over 900 receiving yards as a rookie in 2020 then back-to-back seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022. He battled injuries in 2023, when he had career lows of 42 receptions, 656 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns while missing a career-high 5 games.

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Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay played Brown on his list of the most overrated NFL players at every position on May 21, calling Brown the most overrated offensive lineman in the entire league — to the point where he’s advocating for a position

“While Brown has the size at 6’8″ and 345 pounds to be a great left tackle, he lacks athleticism and struggles against speed rushers,” Kay wrote. “He gives up far too many pressures for a left tackle who’s being paid at an elite level. He’s much more capable as a run-blocker, which he would be able to excel at more on the right side of the line.”

Brown is entering his seventh NFL season in 2024 after signing a 4-year, $64 million free-agent contract with the Bengals in March 2023.

Brown Became Star Early in NFL Career

Brown was drafted in the third round out of Oklahoma by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018 and quickly became one of the NFL’s elite offensive linemen — to the point where the Kansas City Chiefs pulled off a blockbuster trade and gave up a first-round pick to have him come in and protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ blindside before the 2021 season.

Brown made the Pro Bowl four consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2022 and helped lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win following the 2022 season, when he played under a franchise tag that paid him $16.7 million.

The Bengals were hailed for signing Brown in free agency but the results in 2023 were less than stellar — after allowing 8 total sacks in 2021 and 2022 he allowed 7 sacks in 2023, according to PFF.

Bengals Drafted for Future of OL in 2024

The Bengals made an unequivocal move that signals they are invested in protecting franchise quarterback Joe Burrow — they selected 6-foot-8, 340-pound Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims in the first round (No. 18 overall).

Mims only started 8 games at Georgia and is listed as the backup to right offensive tackle Trent Brown on OurLads.com during OTAs, but could eventually be the player that protects Burrow’s blind side in the future.

“Talented tackle prospect carrying a picturesque frame and exciting NFL traits,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Mims plays with pretty good technique and is ahead of the game with hand placement. He has the size and bend to create movement and adequate athleticism to make blocks on the move, although he can be inconsistent in that area. He uses a two-hand punch that causes him to lunge forward a bit, but that should be correctable. It is very rare to see him clearly beaten by a rusher, and he has the recovery talent to do something about it when it happens.”

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Without Burrow for the final 7 games of the regular season, the Bengals struggled down the stretch and missed the playoffs after making the AFC Championship Game the previous two seasons.

Now healthy following surgery, Burrow’s injury did little to dampen the esteem in which he’s held in NFL circles and PFF’s Trevor Sikkema put him at No. 3 in his ranking of all 32 NFL quarterbacks headed into 2024, behind just Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, a pair of two-time NFL MVPs.

“Burrow, unfortunately, had an injury-riddled 2023, starting with a calf strain that it appeared he was rushed back from to start the season,” Sikkema wrote. “He then suffered a torn ligament in his wrist on his throwing hand that ended his season. But I won’t let an injury-affected season take away from what we have seen from Burrow when he is fully healthy: an ice-in-his-veins decision-maker with assassin-like accuracy and MVP-caliber play.”

Burrow’s NFL Career Full of Stops and Starts

After the Bengals selected Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of LSU, he was on track for a stellar rookie season when he tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in Week 11.

Burrow returned in 2021 to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year and lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl with an upset of the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Burrow made his first Pro Bowl in 2022 after leading the Bengals to a 12-4 regular-season record and came one late hit penalty from possibly beating the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive season.

Then, in 2023, another season-ending injury.

Through their first four seasons as starters, both Jackson and Mahomes had won their first NFL MVP awards, made at least one NFL All-Pro Team and multiple Pro Bowls — four for Mahomes and three for Jackson.

Burrow finished fourth in NFL MVP voting in 2022.

Record-Setting Contract Lifts Expectations in Cincy

You didn’t need to be a salary cap expert to know Burrow would break the bank when the Bengals eventually had to sign him to a contract extension. The numbers didn’t disappoint — he signed a 4-year, $275 million contract extension in Sept. 2023 that made him the highest-paid player in terms of annual salary ($55 million) in NFL history.

Almost one year later, he’s now in what seems like a “prove it” year and is lumped in with a group of elite NFL quarterbacks returning from season-ending injuries in 2023, alongside four-time MVP and New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins — both players are coming off tearing their Achilles tendons.

“A consistent element of Burrow’s game has been highly productive passes while not putting the ball in harm’s way,” wrote PFF’s Brandon Locker. “In 2023, Burrow was one of two gunslingers (minimum 400 dropbacks) to have a big-time throw rate of at least 4.4% and also a turnover-worthy play rate of 2.1% or lower. It’s a feat he has accomplished in each of the past three seasons. With the former No. 1 overall pick back under center, the Bengals should vie for not only their division lead but possibly even the AFC.”

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Exactly how much Chase’s contract will be worth, in total, is still very much up for debate. How much Chase could get in annual salary might be easier to discern.

The Athletic’s Randy Mueller, former GM of the Seahawks, Saints and Dolphins, believes Chase and a group of other young wide receivers across the NFL could be in line for some astronomical paydays.

“The receiver market has already been reset twice in the past month, and we are on the verge of another jump with Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Ja’Marr Chase and Brandon Aiyuk all up for new deals,” Mueller wrote. “All four could plausibly reset the market, so we might be looking at $35 million per year — which would be 13.7 percent of the cap — or more. That leaves the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers with big decisions with implications across their rosters.”

Chase is entering his fourth NFL season and is already a two-time NFL All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler. Chase signed a 4-year, $30.8 million contract after the Bengals selected him No. 5 overall out of LSU in 2021.

Cincinnati picked up the fifth-year option on Chase’s contract in April 2024, which would pay him $21.8 million in 2025.

Bengals Should Re-Sign Ja’Marr Chase Sooner Than Later

While Mueller questions whether a team should commit more than 20 percent of its annual salary cap to a player other than a quarterback, he thinks the Bengals signing Chase to a long-term deal as soon as possible in order to save money moving forward.

“If I were the Bengals, I would probably sign Chase — who still has two years left on his deal — as soon as possible to avoid resetting the market after Lamb’s and Jefferson’s deals come in,” Mueller wrote. “Cincinnati already appears to be planning to let Tee Higgins walk after this season, which might necessitate another high NFL Draft investment at the position next year.”

The deals for Chase and Jefferson will no doubt exceed the two mega-deals signed by NFL wide receivers in the 2024 offseason — Detroit Lions NFL All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown’s 4-year, $120 million contract extension with $71 million guaranteed and Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown’s 3-year, $96 million contract extension with $84 million guaranteed.

Bengals Investing in WR Position Through Draft

The Bengals will almost certainly move on from disgruntled wide receiver Tee Higgins after he plays on the franchise tag for $21.8 million in 2024.

That means investing in wide receivers through the draft is a necessity, and they got that process started in 2024 when they selected Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton in the third round (No. 80 overall).

Burton will get a chance to learn from Chase and Higgins and catch passes from Joe Burrow in an apprentice role in 2024 and have a chance to prove he can be a viable WR2 option for the franchise moving forward.

Burton played his first two season of college football at Georgia before he transferred to Alabama and led the Crimson Tide with 39 receptions for 798 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2023 — 20.5 yards per reception.

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A team that good needs to make sure its home stadium keeps pace, something the Bengals showed they understand when they announced a $120 million upgrade to PayCor Stadium, with construction to run through 2026.

The move was announced on the team’s website.

“The Bengals are continuing to invest in our future here in Cincinnati,” executive vice president Katie Blackburn said in a press release on May 21. “We love our fans and can think of no better way to celebrate our 25th season in Paycor Stadium than to announce these major improvements that will make the gameday experience even better.”

The work on the stadium will encompass upgrades to the stadium’s video and audio systems, renovations to suites and club level lounges and concession stands, among other improvements.

The Bengals will use funds from the NFL’s G-5 loan program, and the announcement of the upgrade comes as the team and Hamilton County — where Cincinnati is located — try to come to an agreement that ends with the Bengals exercising a pair of five-year lease options that would keep the franchise at PayCor Stadium through 2036.

Negotiations Between Cincinnati, Bengals

According to ESPN’s Ben Baby, the Bengals have also invested “$40 million in private funds for the team’s indoor practice facility, training room and locker room, with the latter currently under construction.”

More from Baby: “In August 2023, Bengals vice president Troy Blackburn sent an email to county administrator Jeff Alutto regarding the lack of progress on those discussions, according to documents obtained through an open records request. Blackburn offered a couple of options to help fulfill short-term obligations, such as the ones mentioned in Tuesday’s release, as they continued conversations on a long-term deal.”

An Ode to Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium

Longtime NFL fans probably don’t think of PayCor Stadium when they think of the Bengals, who moved into their current home in 2000 and proceeded to reel off 7 consecutive AFC Wild Card losses sprinkled over the next two decades before making it to the Super Bowl following the 2021 season.

Old-school fans likely will first think of the Bengals’ home from 1970 to 1999 — Riverfront Stadium. The Bengals shared the stadium with the Cincinnati Reds, and won two AFC championships there in the 1980s.

In an interesting twist, the first touchdown scored at Riverfront Stadium in 1970 was by quarterback Sam Wyche, who would later become the Bengals’ head coach from 1984 to 1991. Wyche played in the NFL for 9 seasons from 1968 to 1976 and was an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers when they defeated the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI following the 1981 season.

When the Bengals made it back to Super Bowl XXIII following the 1988 season with Wyche as head coach, they lost to the 49ers again, this time on one of the greatest finishes in Super Bowl history — a 92-yard drive led by quarterback Joe Montana that ended with a touchdown pass to John Taylor with just 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Wyche went on to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1992 to 1995 and spent the last few years before his death in 2020, at 74 years old, as an assistant coach near his home at Pickens (South Carolina) High School.

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Embattled Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins showed a deep understanding of how to subtweet with a cryptic post on X on May 21 amid him sitting out OTAs over a contract dispute with his team.

“Folks calling me out my name is crazy work (laughing emoji),” Higgins wrote. “I ain’t did (poop emoji) to yall”

Higgins’ post comes one day after a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter  broke the news about the fifth-year wide receiver’s refusal to sign a franchise tender.

“Bengals WR Tee Higgins still has not signed his franchise tender and is not expected to by next week, per source,” Schefter wrote. “This would make him ineligible to report back to the Bengals in time for their organized team activities next week. Higgins cannot rejoin the team until he signs.”

Cincinnati placed the franchise tag on Higgins on Feb. 26. It would pay him approximately $21.8 million in 2024. Higgins has asked for a trade multiple times after the Bengals refused to meet his demands for a contract extension.

Higgins Would Be Hot Commodity on Trade Market

If the Bengals were to be open to trading Higgins, he would be a hot commodity on the trade market — any contender that needs a WR1 or WR2 option would likely consider making a deal for Higgins.

The problem is the Bengals might not be contenders without Higgins.

Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow is back after a season-ending wrist injury in 2023 forced him out for the last seven games. Burrow and Higgins have been an electric combination when both are healthy, and both players were part of the Bengals’ 2020 draft class — Burrow in the first round at No. 1 overall and Higgins with the first pick of the second round at No. 33 overall.

In two seasons with a healthy Burrow, Higgins had back-to-back seasons of at least 70 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022. In seven playoff games over those two seasons, Higgins had 31 receptions for 457 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns, including two touchdowns in a 23-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.

Higgins struggled mightily in 2023 due to his own injuries, which forced him to miss five games, and without Burrow, registering career lows of 42 receptions, 656 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.

Higgins only had two 100-yard receiving games in 2023 and his best game of the year came in a 34-11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 23, when he had 8 receptions for 14o receiving yards and 1 touchdown.

Bengals Planned for Future in 2024 NFL Draft

The Bengals seemed to directly address their future at wide receiver in the 2024 NFL draft by selecting Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton in the third round (No. 80 overall).

Burton played his first two seasons at Georgia, where he won a national championship in 2021 and showed flashes of his potential with 26 receptions for 497 yards and 5 touchdowns — a whopping 19.1 yards per reception.

In two seasons after he transferred to Alabama, Burton had 79 receptions for 1,475 yards and 15 touchdowns. Burton led the Crimson Tide with 39 receptions for 798 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2023 — 20.5 yards per reception.

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According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X on May 20, Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins won’t be back with the team for OTAs due to a contract dispute.

“Bengals WR Tee Higgins still has not signed his franchise tender and is not expected to by next week, per source,” Schefter wrote. “This would make him ineligible to report back to the Bengals in time for their organized team activities next week. Higgins cannot rejoin the team until he signs.”

The Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins on Feb. 26, which would pay him approximately $21.8 million in 2024. Higgins has asked for a trade multiple times after the Bengals refused to meet his demands for a contract extension.

Higgins Reportedly Seeking $70 Million Contract

According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Higgins was looking for a 3-year, $70 million contract extension similar to the 3-year, $71.5 million contract extension signed by Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman in February 2024.

Pittman’s contract came with $46 million in guaranteed money.

Higgins was a second-round pick by the Bengals in 2020 (No. 33 overall) out of Clemson and signed a 4-year, $8.68 million rookie contract. He had over 900 receiving yards as a rookie followed by back-to-back seasons over 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022.

In a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, Higgins had four receptions for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In 2023, Higgins’ production dropped off dramatically with career lows in receptions (42) receiving yards (656) and touchdowns (5). He also missed a career-high six games with rib and hamstring injuries.

Pittman had 109 receptions for 1,152 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in 2023 leading up to his contract extension.

The Bengals may already be planning for a future without Higgins — they selected Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Bengals’ Offseason Defined by Trade Demands

Higgins wasn’t the only one on Cincinnati’s roster who sought a trade in the offseason.

NFL All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson requested a trade on April 24 after not receiving a contract extension and missed the first three weeks of voluntary workouts but returned to the team on May 14.

Hendrickson is coming off a career year in which he set a Bengals single-season record with 17.5 sacks and was named first-team NFL All-Pro He also earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection.

Hendrickson signed a 4-year, $60 million contract with the Bengals in March 2021 and received a 1-year, $21 million contract extension in March 2023. He has 39.5 sacks over the last three seasons.

Higgins was a two-time All-ACC selection and College Football Playoff national champion at Clemson but has yet to make a Pro Bowl or an NFL All-Pro Team through his first four seasons in the NFL.

“We’re excited for Tee to have a great year for us,” Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor said to Pro Football Network’s Jay Morrison on March 245. “We think he’s our best chance to help us win a Super Bowl. I’ve enjoyed working with Tee the last four years and expect this year to be no different.”

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PFF’s Zolton Buday singled out one of those players, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, as one of the NFL’s 25 Best Players Under 25 Years Old.

Buday put Chase at No. 4 — the top wide receiver to make the cut.

“The former LSU Tiger has graded between 83.9 and 85.4 in all three of his NFL seasons, making him one of the most consistent receivers in the league,” Buday wrote. “He also had a career-low four drops in 2023, bringing in 93.6% of his catchable targets, a rate that ranked seventh in the NFL.”

Chase, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of LSU, turned 24 years old on March 1.

Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell was ranked No. 1 on the list, followed by New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner at No. 2 and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 3.

Chase Has Been One of NFL’s Best Since Rookie Year

The connection between Chase and Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow was evident to football fans across the world in 2019. That’s when the two teamed up on arguably the greatest college football team of all time and led LSU to a 15-0 season and the College Football Playoff national championship.

That season, Chase had 84 receptions for 1,780 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns – a staggering 21.2 yards per catch — and won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top collegiate wide receiver.

Burrow was selected No. 1 overall by the Bengals in 2020 and Chase chose to sit out the 2020 season because of the pandemic.

Chase’s rookie season in 2021 was one for the ages.

Paired with Burrow once again, he had 81 receptions for 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns during the regular season. He added 25 receptions for 368 receiving yards and 1 touchdown in the playoffs as the Bengals shocked the world by making it to the Super Bowl as Chase set the NFL record for most postseason receiving yards by a rookie.

That season, Chase was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned first-team NFL All-Pro honors.

Despite missing 5 games due to injuries in 2022 and 1 game in 2023, Chase has still had at least 1,000 receiving yards in the last two seasons, including a career-high 100 receptions in 2023 despite Burrow missing the last 7 games due to a season-ending wrist injury.

Chase is also a three-time Pro Bowler, making it each of his first three seasons.

Big Payday Seems Assured for Chase

The Bengals picked up the fifth-year option on Chase’s contract for 2025 but there’s little doubt he’s in line for a contract extension that will make him either the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL or second-highest paid behind Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, he and Burrow’s former teammate at LSU.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL in terms of annual value, with an average salary of $32 million over 3 years, including the most guaranteed money of any wide receiver in NFL history at $84 million.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams has the highest total value contract for a wide receiver in NFL history — a 5-year, $140 million contract extension signed in March 2022.

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But being one of the highest-paid athletes in the world? That’s a different level.

Forbes placed Burrow, 27 years old, at No. 11 on its list of the 50 highest-paid athletes in the world in an article released on May 16, listing $100 million in earnings over the previous 12 months.

Burrow’s earning were split between $96 million in on-field earnings and $4 million in off-field earnings.

“Burrow’s five-year, $275 million contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023 set an NFL contract record with an average annual value of $55 million,” Forbes wrote. “Burrow works with a half-dozen brands off the field, including Nike, Kroger Health and Guinness, and has inspired a multitude of nicknames, including Joe Cool, Joe Brrr and Joe Shiesty.”

Portugese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, 39 years old, topped the list for the fourth time in his career with $260 million in earnings over the previous 12 months.

NFL Players Dot Forbes Top 50 Highest Paid

Burrow wasn’t the only NFL player to make Forbes’ list of the Top 50 highest-paid professional athletes in the world.

In total, 11 NFL playes made the list, led by 7 quarterbacks, including five quarterbacks in the Top 20.

Burrow was the second-highest NFL player to make the list and one spot behind two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson at No. 10 — Jackson made a reported $100.5 million over the previous 12 months.

Two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes ($84.4 million) came in at No. 15, followed by New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers at No. 18 ($80.8 million) and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert at No. 20 ($67.7 million).

Mahomes had the highest off-field earnings by a wide margin at $25 million over the previous 12 months — Herbert was far behind at $11 million.

Other NFL players to make the list were San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa at No. 22 ($68 million), Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins at No. 24 ($62.5 million), Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones at No. 36 ($54.1 million), New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns at No. 41 ($51.7 million), Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson at No. 45 ($47 million) and Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary at No. 46 ($46.5 million).

Burrow Missed Playoffs After Landing Big Payday

After Burrow secured his big payday in March 2023, he and the Bengals took a big step backwards, missing the playoffs after making the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC Championship Game in 2022.

Burrow’s health status was at the crux of those failures — he suffered a season-ending wrist injury that required surgery in Week 11 and forced him to miss the last 7 games of the season. It was Burrow’s second season-ending injury in four seasons after the Bengals made him the No. 1 overall pick out of LSU in 2020.

Burrow returned to throwing the football in May and appears on track to start the 2023 season healthy.

“I’m growing and learning how to handle my body,” Burrow said on May 7. “It’s a process of learning to push through something that might not be there and also learning when the muscles are a little tight and we need to pull back a little today.

“It’s a continued process, day in and day out. It’s part of growing as a pro.”

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The answer could be right out there, according to The Athletic’s Randy Mueller, who listed the Bengals as the perfect fit for former Pro Bowl wide receiver and current free agent Hunter Renfrow.

“The Bengals lost Tyler Boyd, who was a fixture in the slot the past few years, and there aren’t other options with previous production like Renfrow,” Mueller wrote. “He could be a plug-and-play option.”

Renfrow, 28 years old, played the last five seasons for the Las Vegas Raiders and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 with 103 receptions for 1,038 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns.

After compiling just 61 receptions for 585 yards and 2 touchdowns over the last two seasons, Renfrow was released by the Raiders in March 2024.

From Fifth-Round Pick to Pro Bowl Receiver

Renfrow shot to fame as a walk-on wide receiver at Clemson after he won a pair of College Football Playoff national championships, including catching the game-winning touchdown against Alabama with just seconds left in the 2017 CFP National Championship Game.

The two-time All-ACC pick won the Burlsworth Trophy as the nation’s top player who began his career as a walk-on in 2018 — Renfrow was just 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds as a true freshman.

Renfrow was drafted by the Raiders in the fifth round (No. 149 overall) in the 2019 NFL draft. He had more than 600 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons before his breakout year in 2021, and the Raiders rewarded him with a 2-year, $32 million contract.

In the last two seasons, Renfrow only started 4 games and missed 7 games due to injury in 2022 as the Raiders went a combined 14-20 after making the AFC Wild Card Round in 2021.

Bengals Wide Receivers Facing Uncertainty

The Bengals have dealt with drama at wide receiver in the offseason after placing the franchise tag on Higgins, who has alternately requested a trade, extension, said he was going to play … then asked for a trade again.

The Bengals hope they addressed some of the uncertainty at wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, when they picked Alabama’s Jermaine Burton in the third round (No. 80 overall), but that’s no guarantee of success with a rookie.

Burton showed flashes of  potential at Alabama, where he led the Crimson Tide in receiving each of the last two season. He finished 2023 with 39 receptions for 798 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns — a whopping 20.5 yards per catch.

Higgins received the franchise tag from the Bengals despite coming off a career-worst season in 2023 —  the tag will pay him $21.8 million in 2024.

In 2023, Higgins posted career lows in receptions (42) receiving yards (656) and touchdowns (5). He also missed a career-high six games with rib and hamstring injuries.

“We’re excited for Tee to have a great year for us,” Cincinnati head coach Zc Taylor said to Pro Football Network’s Jay Morrison. “We think he’s our best chance to help us win a Super Bowl. I’ve enjoyed working with Tee the last four years and expect this year to be no different.”

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After the Bengals open with the Baltimore Ravens, they will play the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 2, according to a post on X from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Bengals and Chiefs played in the AFC Championship Game following the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

The Bengals won the first matchup on Jan. 30, 2022, before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. After the Chiefs won on Jan. 29, 2023, they went on to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

Two QBs, Two Contracts Totaling Almost $1 Billion

For what’s going to be on the field, the headliners for this game are going to be a pair of elite quarterbacks who already have a history of epic matchups — Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.

Even with that history, the two couldn’t be further apart when it comes to where their careers stand in 2023 — Mahomes is chasing NFL history with a third consecutive Super Bowl win and Burrow is coming off a second season-ending injury in four seasons.

Through Mahomes’ first four NFL seasons — including backing up Alex Smith as a rookie in 2017 — he won his first NFL Most Valuable Player award, made two Super Bowls and won one, was a three-time NFL All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler.

Through Burrow’s first four seasons he’s made one Super Bowl and one Pro Bowl. In 2020, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 11 and missed the final six games of the season. In 2023, he suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11 and missed the final seven games of the season.

Burrow and Mahomes are also two of the highest-paid athletes not just in the NFL but in the entire world.

Mahomes signed a 10-year, $503 million contract in March 2020 that was the fourth-largest contract in the history of professional sports. In March 2023, Burrow signed a 5-year, $275 million contract extension that gave him the highest annual salary ($55 million) in NFL history.

Taylor Swift Watch 2024: Will She Be There?

One of the more amazing parts of the Chiefs’ run to a second consecutive Super Bowl win during the 2023 season was the inclusion of pop superstar Taylor Swift on the way to another championship.

Swift has been dating three-time Super Bowl champion tight end Travis Kelce since July 2023 and was a constant presence at games last season, including through the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

Swift’s schedule playing on the Eras Tour would allow her to be at the Chiefs-Bengals game on Sept. 15. She closes out a five-night set at London’s Wembley Stadium on Aug. 20 and is on break until a show at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Oct. 18.

According to The Associated Press, The Eras Tour is the highest-grossing tour of all time, and in 2023 became the first tour to top $1 billion in ticket sales.

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One of those key pieces returned to the fold on May 13, when a video from the Bengals’ official X account showed defensive end Trey Hendrickson going through workouts with the team.

Hendrickson requested a trade on April 24 after not receiving a contract extension and had missed the first three weeks of voluntary workouts with the Bengals.

Hendrickson signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Bengals in 2021 and received a one-year, $21 million contract extension in July 2023 that keeps him under contract with the franchise through 2025. That extension reportedly included an $8 million signing bonus.

Hendrickson is coming off a career year in which he set a Bengals single-season record with 17.5 sacks and was named first-team NFL All-Pro and earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection.

Hendrickson has 39.5 sacks over the last three seasons.

On May 14, Hendrickson addressed his absence.

“Nothing can replicate a team like football. When you get a group of guys like this that selflessly play for each other, it’s special,” Hendrickson told Cincinnati Bengals Talk. “And I don’t want to be a part of why it’s not like that. Coming back like I said was a no-brainer to build the foundation of what this team will look like.”

From FAU to Becoming NFL Superstar

Hendrickson, 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft (No. 103 overall) after being named the 2016 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year at Florida Atlantic.

Hendrickson only played in 17 games in his first two seasons and didn’t make his first start until his third season. He had a breakout year in 2020 with the Saints, starting 15 games and finishing with 13.5 sacks and parlayed that into the lucrative 4-year, $60 million contract with the Bengals.

In his first season with Cincinnati, Hendrickson had 14.0 sacks during the regular season and helped lead the Bengals back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1988. Hendrickson was just as dominant in that year’s postseason run, racking up 3.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble in 4 games.

“We want Trey to play here next year for us,” Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor told ESPN’s Ben Baby on April 27. “He’s going to play here next year for us. He’s going to have success, we’re going to have success and I’m excited for that.”

Bengals Dealing With Multiple Contract Issues

Hendrickson isn’t the only disgruntled star on the Bengals looking for more money.

Wide receiver Tee Higgins was given the franchise tag and has gone back and forth between requesting a trade and appearing to say he’ll play for the Bengals in 2024 throughout the offseason.

Through his first 4 seasons in the NFL, Higgins made approximately $10 million — the franchise tag would pay him approximately $21.8 million in 2024.

After making it to the Super Bowl in 2021, the Bengals made it to the AFC Championship Game for a rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 but lost 23-20  on a 45-yard field goal by Harrison Butker as time expired that was set up by a late-hit penalty on Joseph Ossai on the Chiefs’ final drive.

Cincinnati missed the playoffs after back-to-back appearances in 2023 thanks in no small part to a rash of injuries, including quarterback Joe Burrow, the highest-paid player in NFL history, suffering a season-ending wrist injury that forced him to miss the last 7 games of the season.

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Cornerback William Jackson III, the Bengals’ No. 26 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, has joined the Tennessee Titans for rookie minicamp, according to Aaron Wilson from Houston NBC affiliate KPCR on May 10.

Jackson is a Houston native who played for Wheatley High School and the University of Houston. Titans’ rookie minicamp runs from May 10-12.

William Jackson III Getting Another Chance in NFL

Jackson was a two-time All-AAC pick for Houston and capped his college career with his best season in 2015, with 43 tackles, 5 interceptions and a staggering 23 pass deflections.

Jackson fell flat at the NFL combine after suffering cramps but bounced back at Houston’s Pro Day by running the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds — enough to propel him into the first round, where the Bengals took him at No. 26 overall and signed him to a 4-year, $9.07 million contract.

Jackson missed his entire rookie season with a torn pectoral muscle then spent the next four seasons playing pretty decent football on some pretty horrendous teams — a stretch of four consecutive losing seasons for the Bengals in which the franchise went a combined 19-44.

In his de facto rookie season in 2017, Jackson had a career-high 14 pass deflections and in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers intercepted a pass by Aaron Rodgers and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown. In 2018, Jackson started all 16 games.

In 2020, Jackson had perhaps his most complete year with a career-high 45 tackles, 1 interception, 11 pass deflections and started all 14 games he played in.

That was excellent timing for Jackson’s wallet as he signed a 3-year, $40.5 million free-agent contract with the Washington Commanders (then the Washington Football Team) before the 2021 season.

Jackson missed 5 games due to injury in 2021 but had a career-high 2 interceptions — his former team made it all the way to the Super Bowl. Upset over playing time, Jackson forced a trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers after playing just 2 games for the Commanders in 2022 but never played a down for the Steelers.

Jackson did not play in the NFL in 2023.

So Much Talent: Breaking Down 2016 NFL Draft

The 2016 NFL draft was particularly stacked with talent across the board — not just the first round.

Jackson was one of five cornerbacks taken in the first round, although only one of them has ever made a Pro Bowl — No. 5 overall pick Jalen Ramsey.

The first seven picks in the draft have all been Pro Bowl selections and 11 total picks in the first round have been Pro Bowlers.

Probably the most amazing statistic from outside of the first round might be what happened in the second and third rounds, where 15 Pro Bowlers were taken across the two rounds — eight in the second round and seven in the third round.

Incredibly, one of the most productive running backs in the NFL over the last decade went in the second round — Alabama running back and 2015 Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry at No. 45 overall to the Titans.

Henry was also the second running back taken in the draft after the Dallas Cowboys took Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4 overall.

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Burrow spoke with the media on May 7 in a much different state — as an actual participant in voluntary workouts and just one day after he returned to throwing the ball.

Burrow addressed a wide range of topics, including his surgically repaired wrist and how he’s trying to adapt to taking care of his body after injuries ended two of his first four NFL seasons early.

Burrow missed the last six games of his rookie season in 2020 after the former No. 1 overall pick suffered a major knee injury.

“I’m growing and learning how to handle my body,” Burrow said. “It’s a process of learning to push through something that might not be there and also learning when the muscles are a little tight and we need to pull back a little today.

“It’s a continued process, day in and day out. It’s part of growing as a pro.”

Burrow said he couldn’t find another quarterback who’d suffered the same wrist injury as he had — only offensive and defensive linemen and linebackers.

“The wrist has good days and bad days, just like the knee did,” Burrow said. “We’ll be smart about it.”

Joe Burrow: Highest-Paid Player in NFL History

Expectations for Burrow were always going to be sky-high — when he became the highest-paid player in NFL history with a 5-year, $275 million contract before the 2023 season the pressure was kicked up a notch.

After getting Burrow his mega-del, injuries decimated the lineup and they missed the playoffs after making it to the Super Bowl in 2021 and making it to the AFC Championship Game in 2022.

Still, Burrow said the Bengals weren’t about making excuses.

“It’s not us sitting back and saying if this guy was healthy, we would have gone to the Super Bowl,” Burrow said. “We’re striving to improve every aspect.

“…Everybody feels great in Week 1, but in Week 8 you maybe have 7 starters down with injury, but that’s the NFL. Some years you’re gonna be like that and in the years you are healthy and you do have your guys, you need to take advantage of it.”

Bengals Added Offensive Help for Burrow

The Bengals added offensive weapons for Burrow in the draft and free agency — Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton was a third-round pick who could step in and be WR3 right away behind veterans Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

In free agency, the Bengals signed two players to one-year contracts who will step in and start right away — and who Burrow will rely on heavily — with right offensive tackle Trent Brown and tight end Mike Gesicki.

“Trent has come in and been a presence for us,” Burrow said. “I see him in the weight room every time I’m in there, puttin gin the work … Mike has been great for us. He has a big catch radius and he’s an explosive (player). Everything you want on and off the field.”

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One person not in the running for the spot is Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown after the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Brown declined a request to be interviewed for the job.

The Patriots hired former linebacker Jerod Mayo as their new head coach one day after parting ways with Belichick.

“#Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown has declined a request to interview for the #Patriots de facto GM position, per source,” Pelissero posted on his X account. “Brown will remain a top GM candidate in next year’s cycle.”

Brown has a long history with the Patriots. He broke into the NFL with New England’s scouting department in 2010 and was with the team from 2010 to 2012. Brown was the Director of College Scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles when they defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl LII following the 2017 season.

Brown has been with the Bengals since 2021.

Brown Has Built Teams From Scratch

Brown has unique work experience when it comes to being a football executive— he’s built an entire professional team from scratch. Twice.

Brown left the Eagles following the 2018 season to become the executive vice president of football operations for the Alliance of American Football’s Birmingham Iron in 2019 — the AAF folded after one season.

In 2020, Brown was the director of player personnel for the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks before the league ceased play in spring 2020 because of the pandemic and later filed for bankruptcy.

“I think this gave me an opportunity to not only work with great people, but also do things that you probably wouldn’t get a chance to do or get experience in the NFL mainly because those GM opportunities that you mention, when you walk into those jobs, you’ve got players already on the roster, guys that are under contract,” Brown told NFL.com’s Herbie Teope about the Iron in 2019. “When we took this thing in December, there were no players on the roster, so you’re going from building everything from scratch, which is a unique opportunity, and you get a chance to gain some experience to learn.”

Interviewed for NFL GM Positions in the Past

Brown is a Kansas native who played college football for UCLA and was a second-team Associated Press All-American cornerback in 2007. He signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008 and played one season with the UFL’s New York Sentinels in 2009.

Brown has interviewed for NFL general manager jobs three times in the past, with the Buffalo Bills in 2017 and twice with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders in 2018 and 2022.

Brown’s connections to the NFL run deep. His father, Theotis Brown II, was a star running back at UCLA in the late 1970s and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft.

Theotis’ career was cut short by a heart attack in 1984 while playing for the Kansas City Chiefs and he went to work in community relations and ticket sales for the franchise — he brought his son with him to work on occasion.

Brown counts former Chiefs’ general manager Carl Peterson among his mentors.

“I’ve had the chance to be molded by a lot of different people,” Brown told Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson in 2021.

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That one player for the Bengals, quarterback Joe Burrow, became a trending topic on X on May 6 after he returned to practice and throwing the football for the first time since he suffered a season-ending wrist injury that required surgery against the Baltimore Ravens on November 11, 2023.

It was Burrow’s second season-ending injury in four seasons, following major knee surgery as a rookie in 2020. In total, Burrow has missed 16 games due to injury since 2020 — including seven games to end the 2023 season.

The Bengals dropped the first video of Burrow throwing on their official X account, posting: “HE IS SO BACK.”

Burrow Signed Record-Setting Contract in 2023

The Bengals made Burrow the highest-paid player in NFL history in March 2023, when they signed him to a 5-year, $275 million contract extension which pays him an average of $55 million per season.

Burrow’s payday was well-earned. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of LSU, Burrow led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2021 and back to the AFC Championship Game in 2022.

The Bengals have also seen the value of their franchise increase exponentially since Burrow was drafted. According to Statista, the Bengals were valued at $2 billion in 2019 — the year before Burrow was drafted — and were valued at $3.5 billion in 2023.

With Burrow out, backup quarterback Jake Browning filled in admirably but the Bengals missed the playoffs for the first time since Burrow’s rookie season and finished the season 9-8 — last place in the AFC North.

Will Bengals Rise to Top of AFC in 2024?

With the return of Burrow, the Bengals have not only their best player back but still have a strong nucleus around him — LSU teammate and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is one of the NFL’s best at his position and another standout wide receiver, Tee Higgins, will play on the franchise tag in 2024.

The Bengals added more offensive help for Burrow in the 2024 NFL draft — some that will help right away and some that will help down the road.

Cincinnati drafted massive Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims in the first round (No. 18 overall) but he might start his career playing behind Trent Brown at right tackle.

In forms of immediate help, the Bengals took Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton in the third round (No. 80 overall) — potentially a plug-and-play starter who dropped in the draft due to off-field concerns.

Burton played his first two seasons at Georgia and won a College Football Playoff national championship there in 2021 before transferring to Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide with 39 receptions for 798 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in 2023 — 20.5 yards per catch.

“Despite sliding a bit due to some off-field concerns, Burton has a three-level skill set with great explosiveness and impressive ball skills,” wrote PFF’s Trevor Sikkema in his post-draft grades. “He didn’t drop any of his 57 targets this past season and could be a solid complement to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins from Day 1 due to his downfield playmaking ability.”

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The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman tabbed undrafted free agent punter Austin McNamara as the most likely UDFA to make Cincinnati’s roster — just one year after the Bengals spent a sixth-round draft pick on Michigan punter Brad Robbins.

“The Bengals ranked 30th in punting average last year, while McNamara was one of college football’s best, averaging 46.3 yards per punt in his final season,” Baumgardner and Dochterman wrote. “Of his 55 punts in 2023, McNamara parked 24 of them inside the 20, boomed 21 more than 50 yards and forced 27 fair catches. Look for a quality competition between McNamara and incumbent Brad Robbins.”

The Bengals haven’t had a punter make the Pro Bowl since 2014, when Kevin Huber averaged 46.8 yards per punt.

McNamara vs. Robbins: Tale of the Tape

Robbins wasn’t the worst punter in the NFL in 2023, but he was pretty close.

Robbins, one of three punters taken in the 2023 NFL draft, was ranked 31st in the NFL with 44.3 average yards per punt on 76 punts. He was tied for 23rd in the NFL in punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line with 20.

In 2024, only one punter was drafted — the Chicago Bears selected Iowa’s Tory Taylor in the 4th round (No. 122 overall).

McNamara, 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, was one of college football best punters during his time at Texas Tech, where he was a four-time All-Big 12 selection and became the first Red Raider to earn Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year honors in 2023.

In 2020, McNamara set a Big 12 record with an 87-yard punt against West Virginia.

In 2021, McNamara set a Big 12 record by averaging 48.2 yards per punt.

“McNamara has the body type and leg teams look for in an NFL punter,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, who projected McNamara as a possible 7th round draft pick. “He can long-lever punts with good hang time but has occasionally outpunted his coverage, leading to excessive return yardage. While he has field-flipping power, his touch was a little erratic in 2023 and will need to be corrected for important field position battles.

“McNamara is a draftable talent and has a legitimate shot to make an NFL roster.”

Only One All-Pro Punter in Bengals Franchise History

The Cincinnati Bengals have only had one punter make the NFL All-Pro Team in franchise history — and he’s one of the more unique players in league history.

The Bengals drafted Harvard wide receiver/punter Pat McInally in the fifth round of the 1975 NFL draft. McInally played in the NFL from 1975-1985 and played both positions for the first part of his career and was the Bengals’ full-time punter from 1976 to 1985.

McInally, 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, became the first Harvard player to play in the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl in 1981 — the same year he became the only NFL All-Pro punter in Bengals history.

While McInally led the NFL in punting average three times and in net punt yards once, he’s more known for being the only NFL player to register a verified perfect score on the Wonderlic test.

As part of a promotion for Wonderlic in 2007, McInally took the test again and scored a 49 out of 50.

“Missed one,” McInally said. “Not bad after six concussions.”

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First, a trade request immediately after the franchise tag.

Then, Higgins appeared to say he would play for the Bengals.

Then, another trade request in the week leading up to the 2024 NFL draft.

Now, we have some clarity as to what Higgins has been looking for as far as a contract extension. According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Higgins was looking for a 3-year, $70 million contract extension similar to the 3-year, $71.5 million contract extension signed by Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman in February 2024.

Pittman’s contract came with $46 million in guaranteed money.

Tee Higgins Coming Off Career-Worst Season

Higgins received the franchise tag from the Bengals despite coming off a career-worst season in 2023 — the franchise tag will pay him $21.8 million in 2024.

Higgins was a second-round pick by the Bengals in 2020 (No. 33 overall) out of Clemson and signed a 4-year, $8.68 million rookie contract. He had over 900 receiving yards as a rookie followed by back-to-back seasons over 1,000 receiving yards in 2021 and 2022.

In a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, Higgins had four receptions for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In 2023, Higgins’ production dropped off dramatically with career lows in receptions (42) receiving yards (656) and touchdowns (5). He also missed a career-high six games with rib and hamstring injuries.

Pittman had 109 receptions for 1,152 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in 2023 leading up to his contract extension.

Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor didn’t equivocate when it came to what he expects from his team or from Higgins in 2024.

“We’re excited for Tee to have a great year for us,” Taylor said to Pro Football Network’s Jay Morrison. “We think he’s our best chance to help us win a Super Bowl. I’ve enjoyed working with Tee the last four years and expect this year to be no different.”

Bengals May Have Replaced Higgins in 2024 Draft

The Bengals may not see a long-term resolution to their problems with Higgins and addressed as much in the 2024 NFL draft when they selected Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton in the third round.

Burton could be a high-impact rookie for the Bengals and showed flashes of his potential during his college career at Georgia then at Alabama, where he led the team in receiving each of the last two seasons and finished 2023 with 39 receptions for 798 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns, for an average of 20.5 yards per catch.

As long as Higgins plays, Burton could be a plug-and-play WR3 for the Bengals behind NFL All-Pro Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins.

“While the catch totals and yardage weren’t necessarily prolific, Burton’s tape is very appealing,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein in his pre-draft evaluation of Burton. “He has pretty good size and plays bigger than he measures. He can fight through press, get physical at the break point and carve out space on 50/50 balls. Burton wasn’t asked to run an extended route tree, but he has the traits and ball skills to work all three levels against NFL cornerbacks.”

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The Bengals drafted Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton in the third round (No. 80 overall), bringing what could be a first-round talent in at third-round prices.

The Bengals’ offseason has been defined somewhat by uncertainty surrounding their wide receivers after Tee Higgins received the franchise tag, which would pay him an estimated $21.8 million in 2024, and promptly requested a trade.

Things got even more confusing when Higgins seemed to rescind the trade request … only to ask for a trade again in the week leading up to the NFL draft.

Burton could help solve all of that in the future and provide a viable WR3 option for the Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow if he can overcome some significant off-field concerns.

Burton Had Significant Off-Field Incident in 2022

One off-field incident in 2022 had a significant impact on Burton’s draft stock.

After a loss at Tennessee, Burton was caught on video striking a female Tennessee fan as students stormed the field following the game.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban didn’t mince words during ESPN’s coverage of the 2024 NFL draft.

“I really, really like (Burton), but the No. 1 thing that he needs to do — and I think emotional maturity is the best way to say it — is do the right things all the time,” Saban said. “He does the right things on the field. He knows the importance of what he has to do in the field. He wants to be a player. That’s all he thinks about.

“But you’ve got to do the right things in your life all the time so that you can do the best things that you can do on the field and be the best you can do. … When you get emotional, you make bad decisions and lose your brain.”

Burton Showed Flashes of Greatness in College

Burton played his first two seasons at Georgia, where he won a national championship in 2021 and showed flashes of his potential with 26 receptions for 497 yards and 5 touchdowns — a whopping 19.1 yards per reception.

In two seasons after he transferred to Alabama, Burton had 79 receptions for 1,475 yards and 15 touchdowns. Burton led the Crimson Tide with 39 receptions for 798 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2023 — 20.5 yards per reception.

At the NFL combine in February, Burton checked in at 6-foot and 196 pounds and put up elite testing numbers — he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds, had a 38.5-inch vertical jump and broad-jumped 11-feet, 1-inch.

“While the catch totals and yardage weren’t necessarily prolific, Burton’s tape is very appealing,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein. “He has pretty good size and plays bigger than he measures. He can fight through press, get physical at the break point and carve out space on 50/50 balls. Burton wasn’t asked to run an extended route tree, but he has the traits and ball skills to work all three levels against NFL cornerbacks.

“He caught a touchdown pass every 5.7 grabs during his college career, but he would have scored even more if not for some mistimed throws when he had opened the window wide.”

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Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler was the first to report the news on April 27, although it was later confirmed by KPRC2 NFL insider Aaron Wilson. Including a financial note.

“[The] Bengals deal for running back Elijah Collins includes [an] $8,000 signing bonus, per a league source,” Wilson informed. A little sweetener to secure the 6-foot ball carrier in Cincy.

Collins burst onto the scene as a freshman starter at Michigan State in 2019 (following a redshirt campaign). He put up over 1,000 scrimmage yards that season, with 988 of them coming on the ground (4.5 yards per carry). Collins also scored five touchdowns for the Spartans that year.

Unfortunately, things took a turn after that.

New Bengals UDFA Running Back Elijah Collins Struggled With Injuries & Opportunities After Freshman Season

There’s a reason Collins was passed up in the draft. He showed promise early in his college career, but there was a lack of production later on — whether due to injury or effectiveness.

Following his breakout year as a freshman, Collins put together a forgettable sophomore season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Michigan State playmaker’s yards per carry average dropped to a career-worst 2.2 YPC in 2020, with zero touchdowns and 124 scrimmage yards over seven appearances.

Then in 2021, it was an injury that slowed Collins. The ball carrier missed five outings that season, appearing in seven once again. This time, his yards per carry average was much better, however, with a career-best 5.7 YPC and one receiving touchdown — but the overall production was still down with fewer opportunities to go around.

After getting 222 carries in 2019, Collins didn’t log over 50 carries in a season until 2022, when he registered 70. In a bounce back campaign, the Spartan showed he could still carry the load with another 4.5 yards per carry and over 400 scrimmage yards.

Collins transferred to Oklahoma State after that, and his opportunities were lessened once again. Having said that, he often held his own in the yards per carry department with 4.5 YPC or more in every year outside of 2020.

Perhaps, that bit of consistency inspired the Bengals to take a look.

Collins ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the Oklahoma State pro day according to Wilson. The RB also recorded a 38-inch vertical, 10’5″ broad jump, 4.25-second shuttle, 7.10-second three-cone drill and 16 reps on the bench.

Bengals RB Room Enters Post-Joe Mixon Era With Zack Moss at the Helm

Zack Moss was brought in to become the presumptive starter after the franchise moved on from long-time Bengals team leader Joe Mixon in 2024.

Behind Moss, it’s a similar room as last year though — excluding Collins as the newcomer.

2023 fifth rounder Chase Brown enters his second season in the league. As a rookie, the Illinois product was called upon 44 times on the ground with 179 yards and a YPC of just over four yards per carry.

Chris Evans, a sixth-round selection in 2021, is still with the franchise as well. His usage has tailed off significantly after registering 77 rushing yards and 151 receiving yards as a rookie.

Finally, the veteran of the group is now Trayveon Williams — another former sixth-round selection that has never contributed more than 157 rushing yards in a season.

Needless to say, there is certainly room for Collins to make a roster push inside this unit. Moss and Brown should head the depth chart in September, but the RB3 role could be up for grabs in training camp.

Of course, unseating staff favorites won’t be easy, but a strong summer could force some difficult decisions in Cincinnati.

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