The Cincinnati Bengals had a disappointing 2023 season riddled with injuries which ended with them finishing in last place in the AFC North despite being able to claw their way to a 9-8 record.
Now with the football season over, there’s nothing more the Bengals and their fans can do other than look forward to next season and hope next season goes better.
Jim Wyman of PFF looked at the last place teams from each division in the NFL and ranked which of them are most likely to go from worst to first in their respective divisions, and the Bengals were the No. 1 most likely to do so.
Here’s what he had to say about their chances:
The Bengals made history in 2023 by becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era to finish in last place in their division with a winning record. The Bengals accomplished this feat despite Joe Burrow missing the last seven games of the season due to a wrist injury. Jake Browning played well enough to keep the team afloat in his absence, but it wasn’t quite enough for a playoff berth. With a healthy Burrow, the Bengals should be right in the thick of things for the division title once again. The big question is what they do with Tee Higgins, who is set to hit free agency but is also a candidate for the franchise tag. Due to how much cap space the Bengals are projected to have this offseason, a new contract is doable if that’s the route they choose to go in.
A healthy Burrow will certainly make their chances at winning the division again much better, and even despite the strength of the AFC North, Wyman believes the Bengals have the talent to finish at the top again.
They were projected there to begin the 2023 season, and have a full offseason and a lot of cap space to improve the roster along with a healthy Burrow so it’s very possible the Bengals get back to where they were.
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