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The Cincinnati Bengals bandwagon might get crowded soon.
From a national perspective, it seems like the slow portions of this offseason have started to drum up some hype for the Bengals. Joe Burrow’s return helped, but so did the arrival of one Ja’Marr Chase. And it sure doesn’t hurt that the world is waking up to just how elite Jessie Bates is.
The latest bit of hype? The Bengals are the second-best bandwagon to hop on this year in the mind of NFL.com’s Adam Schein:
“Looks like he’ll be ready for Week 1, and I can’t wait. This cat has “it.” He’s what you want in a franchise quarterback, and he’s going to be a superstar, especially with the weapons at his disposal. Burrow showed a nice rapport with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd in Year 1, and now old friend Ja’Marr Chase joins the fun. I loved the pick at No. 5 overall. Chase is going to be in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Remember what Burrow and Chase did together two years ago? They owned college football, guiding LSU to a national title, with Burrow winning the Heisman Trophy and Chase nabbing the Biletnikoff Award. I can’t wait to watch their swagger in Cincy. And I think Joe Mixon’s due for a major bounceback after an injury-riddled 2020 campaign.”
It’s hard to argue against the point, too. On paper, things look great for a Bengals team that has a star quarterback, strong supporting cast and upgraded offensive line. Questions remain about whether Zac Taylor is the answer at head coach, but he’s now had two years to completely overhaul the roster.
Whether it pans out over 17 games next year is hard to say with any guarantees, but the Bengals bandwagon certainly deserves to start filling up more as the summer continues.
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