The Kansas City Chiefs have ruled the AFC for most of the last six seasons, but there is one team in the conference that did prevent them from getting to the Super Bowl during that time.
The Cincinnati Bengals, behind quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, got the job done during the 2021 season by defeating Patrick Mahomes and crew in the AFC Championship Game before losing a tight Super Bowl to the Los Angeles Rams.
But the Bengals have now missed the playoffs two seasons in a row, and their immediate future could be looking a bit gloomy due to the contract situations of Chase and Higgins.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano said that things will not exactly be simple for them this offseason as they look to return to championship contention.
“The Bengals are in for a tricky off-season,” Graziano said.
“The Bengals are in for a tricky off-season.” 👀@DanGrazianoESPN breaks down issues the Cincinnati Bengals may face during free agency. pic.twitter.com/Y9gCrPIIy4
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 14, 2025
Graziano pointed out the team’s tendency to not give any guaranteed money past the first year of a player’s contract as an obstacle to them setting themselves up for a strong 2025.
Chase has one year left on his contract and Higgins is set to become a free agent, and another star who is due for a contract extension is All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who, like Chase, has one season left on his current deal.
Cincinnati finished 25th in points and total yards allowed this season and needs help on the defensive side of the football, and they will have to figure out some way to at least extend Chase and Hendrickson while bringing in some help on defense.
