A Look Ahead: Cincinnati Bengals Offseason Predictions

This is a crucial offseason for the Bengals.

The sun may have set on the 2022 NFL season, but there's not much time for rest as the thrill of the offseason is just beginning.

Clubs can begin to franchise tag their players next week, the NFL Scouting Combine is set to begin later this month. Couple that with college pro days and before you know it the start of the new league year will begin with free agency on March 15th.

The Bengals are facing one of the most important offseasons in their franchise's history. A number of questions and speculations have risen from contract extensions, sustainability, and future of this organization.

Here are my Bengals offseason predictions:

Joe Burrow resets market with contract extension

© Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Burrow is officially eligible to sign a contract extension now that he has completed his third season in the NFL.

The star quarterback and the Bengals have built a strong rapport since he was drafted. Zac Taylor, the rest of the coaching staff, and front office have created an AFC powerhouse. After using back-to-back top-five draft picks on Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, they've appeared in two-straight AFC Championship games and one Super Bowl. 

"My plan is to be here my whole career and hopefully Zac (Taylor) is here my whole career and hopefully a lot of our guys are around for as long of my career as they can be," Burrow said last month. "I have a lot of confidence in the front office doing their jobs in the offseason. We've drafted well, we've brought in great free agents, we've claimed guys off waivers that have really made an impact on our team. I think we have one of the best front offices in the league and Zac in my opinion is the best head coach in the league and that gives me a lot of confidence."

Bengals' owner Mike Brown expressed his interest in keeping Burrow in the Queen City and the quarterback's championship window too.

"He's [Burrow] gonna have a long career. We certainly want it to be here," Brown said on the Bengals Booth Podcast. "I think his window will extend over his whole career. But there is the fact that when you don't have to pay the quarterback some extraordinary amount, that that leaves room to pay other players more and therefore you can keep more players that are good players. That's what people are referring to there. But (Patrick) Mahomes and others of that like—they seem to make it go, even after they have gotten their pay day."

What could Burrow's possible contract look like? The extension could be 8-10 years in length and will likely eclipse an average annual earning of $50 million. It could also surpass the NFL's highest fully-guaranteed contract (Deshaun Watson, $230 million).

For an in-depth look at a Burrow contract proposal, go here.

To help with Burrow's and potential future contracts, the Bengals agreed to a 16-year stadium naming rights deal with HR software company Paycor prior to the start of the season. They were one of three NFL teams remaining without a stadium naming rights deal.

Although the details of the agreement were not made public, Brown said that the partnership allows the team to continue to compete at the highest level in the NFL and exemplifies their long-term commitment to the community.

On Jan. 30, the NFL announced the salary cap for the 2023-2024 season to be set to $224.8 million, a $16.6 million increase from last year. The increase in television and media deals along with the addition of a 17th regular season game and profits in other avenues will continue to grow the salary cap in the years to come.

Bengals Go All-In On Super Bowl Quest

USA Today Images

Although the AFC Championship loss left a sour taste with the Bengals, they are equipped to go all-in in 2023.

They have their core players still under contract and return all three coordinators in Lou Anarumo, Brian Callahan, and Darrin Simmons. They also have over $36 million in cap space according to Spotrac, which is the seventh most in the NFL. 

More cap space could be freed if they look to move on from players like Joe Mixon, who has a $12.76 million cap hit in 2023.

Cincinnati will need to address the secondary, tight end, and running back positions with the pending departures of Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell, Eli Apple, Hayden Hurst, and Samaje Perine to free agency. As well as depth at offensive line, wide receiver, and defensive line with future contracts set to expire. They may keep some of their veterans, but others will certainly leave in free agency.

The key to the puzzle will be signing players that fit with potential extensions for guys like Burrow, Chase, Tee Higgins and Logan Wilson. 

Even with the likeliness that Burrow inks a lucrative deal this offseason, he has one year left on his rookie contract and the Bengals will certainly exercise Burrow's fifth-year option for 2024.

The time is now for Cincinnati to dive headfirst into their Super Bowl aspirations and utilize their cap space.

Once Burrow's new contract is in place, it will be a new challenge for Duke Tobin and the front office to build a championship contending team around Burrow. It's possible and the Chiefs were an example of it this season.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach turned over Kansas City's roster from last year to this year. More than half (32 of 53) of the rostered Chiefs are homegrown players, including 27 draft picks. All but one of their rookies played significant snaps in 11 or more games.

Developing their own is the Bengals' way. Historically, Cincinnati rarely made a splash in free agency nor made trades until recently. In 2022, 31 players on their 53-man roster were homegrown with the addition of 14 free agents and eight trade and/or waiver claimed players.

Burrow made a bold declaration that the championship window is his whole career. It's certainly true when you have a special talent like Burrow at quarterback, but it's easier to load up on talent for that championship goal when players like Burrow, Chase, and Higgins are playing on their rookie deals.

Bengals Will Host Three of Five Primetime Games in 2023

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Each team can play in as many as five primetime games per season. The list could potentially grow if the NFL awards a team another game under the lights when flexible scheduling is initiated later in the season.

The Bengals were originally given five primetime games last season. Two of those games were played at home (Dolphins and Bills), two were on the road (Ravens and Browns), while they were flexed out of their fifth game in Pittsburgh for Sunday Night Football in Week 11.

Cincinnati made a statement in 2022 that their Super Bowl run in the 2021 season wasn't a fluke. They were on a 10-game win-streak, the longest in franchise history, before falling short in the AFC Championship game.

Fans took notice as the team generated higher TV ratings and the popularity of the Bengals and individual players like Burrow and Chase continued to grow.

Plenty of storylines could grab the spot light of teams coming into Paycor Stadium this upcoming season. Two of the NFL's top young receivers square off in Justin Jefferson and Chase, a rematch of the 2022 AFC Divisional Round/uplifting story of Damar Hamlin, a Super Bowl LVI rematch, and gritty AFC North matchups.

However, there's a chance the Bengals could see their first primetime action on the road in Kansas City as part of the NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday Night Football. The defending Super Bowl Champion is typically slated to play as the home team in this game.

The Bengals and Chiefs are one of the hottest rivalries in the league. The AFC Championship game was the most-watched NFL Conference Championship in four years with 53.124 million viewers, up 11 percent, according to CBS.

It was the most-watched TV program of any network since the Bengals-Rams in Super LVI at that time.

Chad Johnson is inducted into Bengals Ring of Honor

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson will join some of the greats to wear stripes as a member of the Bengals' third Ring of Honor class.

The receiver energized Cincinnati with his playful antics and connection to the fans.

He carried that same energy over to the field. Johnson is arguably one of the best route runners in the history of the NFL. He diced up defensive backs off the line of scrimmage and created separation with his quick feet.

The Miami native played 10 seasons (2001-2010) with the Bengals. Johnson had seven 1,000+ receiving yards seasons and was a six-time Pro Bowler. He is the Bengals career leader in receptions (751), receiving yards (10,783) and receiving touchdowns (66), and second in 100-yard receiving games (31).

Season ticket members and suite holders have voted on which former players or coaches they believe should be inducted each of the last two offseasons since the Ring of Honor was created.

The Bengals honoring their own has helped the chances of their legends in the Pro Football Hall of Fame process. Ken Riley was recently announced as a 2023 Hall of Fame inductee after spending countless years being overlooked by the committee despite ending his career with the fifth-most interceptions (68) in NFL history.

Willie Anderson made his second-straight trip as a Hall of Fame finalist this season. Ken Anderson could make his way in as a senior finalist like fellow Bengal Riley did this year.

A Ring of Honor induction is inevitable for Johnson, who was one of the most electrifying receivers of his time. 

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