Cincinnati Bengals training camp, so far, has offered plenty of positivity to suggest that a big rebound back to contention status is in the cards for the franchise.
Before anything else, quarterback Joe Burrow looks great after he spent the offseason rehabbing the wrist injury.
While outlining the projected record for every team in the NFL recently, USA Today’s Nate Davis pins the Bengals with 11 wins and a playoff spot, in part because of the new arrivals and the soft schedule:
But RB Zack Moss, S Geno Stone and third-round WR Jermaine Burton could be among this season’s most underappreciated newcomers. And the margin for error at the outset seems pretty generous given the Patriots, Commanders and Panthers – owners of the league’s three worst records in 2023 – show up on Cincinnati’s September schedule.
The softer schedule this year was always one of those silver linings of last year’s injury-ruined season.
Even without a soft schedule, though, the Bengals project as a strong team with many of the big questions silenced — such as the contract outlook for Tee Higgins.
Granted, there’s still speculation around Ja’Marr Chase’s “hold-in” too, yet reason to believe that perhaps an extension gets done soon.
Either way, the projections have the Bengals falling in the playoffs. Over the course of the season, Burrow and Co. will need more than an assist from the schedule and injury bug to make a deep playoff push. But being projected to get right back to contention has to feel pretty good for fans, regardless.
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