CINCINNATI — One day after the Cincinnati Bengals’ season officially ended, the scene in the locker room was a reminder of the reality the team is about to face.
Players exchange jerseys with personalized messages, a common tradition observed after games between players who are friends on opposing teams. Others pack their belongings into bags or boxes and say goodbye before leaving town. Some spoke of an uncertain future.
One of them is defensive tackle DJ Reader, a cornerstone of Cincinnati’s rebuild. In Week 15, Redd suffered a right quadriceps injury that ended his fourth season with the Bengals and his final season under his current contract. Reid leaned on crutches and pondered the end of the current iteration of the Bengals and what free agency might look like for him.
he does not know.
“It’s kind of funny,” Redd said on January 8, “I’m in the middle of [the COVID-19 pandemic] Last time.This time, I’ll be in it [injury situation]. you will never know. I don’t know what will happen. “
When free agency begins on March 11, Redd will be one of the few key Bengals available to sign with a new club. According to OverTheCap.com, the Bengals will have just under $60 million in cap space.
Cincinnati will have some important decisions to make before the crucial 2024 season.
DJ reader
Location: defensive tackle
Age: 29
2023 Statistics: 14 games, 20 tackles, 1 sack
Appearance: Don’t be fooled by numbers. Reid was the first player the Bengals signed as a free agent in 2020, months after they selected quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick. Redd signed a four-year, $53 million contract, the most the Bengals had given an outside free agent at the time.
Quadriceps injuries ended his 2020 and 2023 seasons. But when he’s healthy, he’s a big part of Cincinnati’s success.
“He’s a leader, a consistent force on the defensive line,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said after Reid suffered a season-ending injury.
Reader has a cap charge of $15.6 million in 2023, according to Roster Management System. It’s unclear what kind of market he will have after the injury. With Cincinnati incurring high costs to maintain its offensive core, the Bengals will have to decide if they can afford to bring Redd back.
Location: wide receiver
age:25
2023 Statistics: 12 games, 42 receptions, 656 receiving yards, 5 receiving touchdowns
Appearance: A variety of factors contributed to Higgins’ worst year with the Bengals. He suffered several serious injuries — a broken rib in a Week 4 loss to the Tennessee Titans and a hamstring injury in practice late in the season.
He also has to deal with the failure to agree a long-term deal before the start of the season.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Higgins has a catch rate of 54.5%, which is the lowest rate of his career. But his value was highlighted in the Week 15 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase left the game with a shoulder injury, and Higgins stepped up with four catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns, including an acrobatic 21-yard catch that was the first of the game. One of the best catches of the game. Year.
Higgins is a leading candidate to earn the franchise tag, which the Bengals have used in two of the past three offseasons. In 2020, Cincinnati receiver AJ Green tagged. Safety Jessie Bates III came on two years later and cashed out in 2023, when he signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Even if Chase gets a massive contract extension soon, the Bengals could give Higgins a tag that OverTheCap estimates is worth $21.7 million. Chase will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2024, while Burrow’s salary cap hit won’t increase until 2025. Burrow has expressed hope that Higgins will return for at least one more season.
“I hope he comes back,” Burrow said on Jan. 8. “I know everybody in the locker room wants him back.”
Location: run back
age:27
2023 Statistics: 17 games, 257 carries, 1,034 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns
Outlook: Mixon faces an uncertain offseason for the second straight year. In 2023, Mixon accepted a renegotiated contract that lowered his salary cap hit to $8.4 million. The new contract included some significant incentives, which he cashed in at the end of the season. He scored a total of 12 touchdowns and earned $350,000.
Judging by the numbers, he was certainly productive. Mixon had 1,410 yards from scrimmage. It was the eighth-highest total for a running back in his seventh NFL season or beyond since 2015, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
But Mixon lacks the explosiveness Cincinnati needs to punish opponents defending Burrow and the Bengals passing game. Among running backs with at least 100 carries, Mixon ranks 15th in runs of 10 yards or more against light defensive end zone (six or fewer defenders).
That remains a focus for the Bengals this offseason. The Bengals must make an early decision on Mixon’s contract. He will receive a $3 million roster bonus on March 18, the fifth day of the new league year. If the Bengals cut him before then, they will save $5.8 million against the salary cap.
While Mixon has been productive, Cincinnati is looking for more big games in 2024, which could impact whether Mixon returns for an eighth season with the Bengals.
“I think we’re going to be able to take a step this offseason,” Burrow said.
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