In 2023, the Cincinnati Bengals’ season did not turn out to be as successful as many had anticipated.
Their chances of making the playoffs were destroyed by a dismal start to the season and Joe Burrow’s wrist injury that ended the season halfway through.
The Bengals didn’t live up to the preseason hype, but there were a few positives: Chase Brown was a good complement to Joe Mixon, and Jake Browning emerged as a reliable backup quarterback.
Trey Hendrickson, a defensive end who tied for second in the NFL with 17.5 sacks and third with 33 quarterback hits, was perhaps the biggest letdown for Cincinnati.
Only T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a pass rusher, finished with more sacks than the other four edge rushers who made the All-Pro list.
Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, and Micah Parsons were all deserving of the honor, but Hendrickson had at least some stake in the outcome.
With Mixon and wide receiver Tee Higgins being the two main areas of uncertainty, the Bengals now enter the offseason.
The choices made about where to cut costs could have a significant impact on the team’s future now that they are paying Burrow top dollar to play quarterback.
