The Cincinnati Bengals were fighting for a playoff spot with backup quarterback Jake Browning last season, proving they still have one of the more underrated rosters in the NFL. But there are potential cracks in the foundation.
Here is why the Bengals should be worried about the 2024-25 season.
Joe Burrow might not be the same after injury-riddled start to career
When healthy, Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, throwing for 14,083 yards and 97 touchdowns across 52 games. However, he has struggled to stay on the field through his first four years in the NFL.
The No. 1 overall pick in 2020 tore his ACL and MCL during his rookie season and then suffered a season-ending wrist injury in 2023.
All signs in Burrow’s rehab point toward him being able to regain his dominance on the gridiron this fall, but there’s a chance his injuries could prevent him from being the player he was from 2021-22 when he led the Bengals to two AFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance.
A likely downgrade at running back
While former Bengals RB Joe Mixon has been a subject of trade talks for the past couple of years, Cincinnati’s March decision to trade him to the Houston Texans for a 2024 seventh-round pick was a head-scratcher.
The Bengals must now find a way to replicate the production of their franchise’s third all-time leading rusher, but that is going to be difficult to do after only signing veteran Zack Moss in free agency.
Moss will likely split the backfield with 2023 fifth-round pick Chase Brown, but the two rushed for a combined 973 yards and five touchdowns last season.
A less dominant run game will put even more pressure on Burrow coming off his second season-ending injury.
Young secondary fails to shake off struggles
Cincinnati’s defense allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game (248.4) in the league last season and there’s a chance the young group continues to struggle in 2024.
The Bengals did revamp their safety room, reuniting with Vonn Bell (who played for them from 2020-22) and signing Geno Stone, who had the second-most interceptions (seven) in the NFL a season ago.
The team is going to have to heavily rely on second-year cornerback DJ Turner and third-year safety-turned-corner Dax Hill, though. If one or both players don’t reach expectations, it could be another long season for the secondary.
