Cincinnati — Scenes from inside the Cincinnati Bengals’ locker room served as a reminder of the team’s impending reality the day after the season came to an official conclusion.
After games, players from opposing teams who are friendly with one another usually exchange jerseys with personalized notes. Others packed their things into bags or boxes, bid farewell to the town, and headed out. And some spoke of an uncertain future.
Among them was DJ Reader, a defensive tackle who was instrumental in Cincinnati’s reconstruction. Reader’s fourth season with the Bengals and his last one under his current deal came to an end in Week 15 due to a right quad injury. Reader wondered what free agency would hold for him and when this Bengals era would come to an end as he stood on crutches.
Additionally, he had
Reader commented, “It’s kind of interesting,” on January 8. “Last time, I was in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ll be in the midst of this [injury predicament] this time. You never know. I’m not sure what to expect.”
Reader will be one of the few important Bengals who could join with a new team when free agency opens on March 11. The Bengals’ cap room will be little less than $60 million, per OverTheCap.com.
Additionally, Cincinnati will need to make a few crucial choices before a crucial 2024 campaign.
Prospects: Don’t let the figures deceive you. Shortly before quarterback Joe Burrow was selected with the first overall choice by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft, Reader was the first free agent the team signed. At the time, Reader’s four-year contract worth $53 million was the highest the Bengals had ever offered to an outside free agency.
His seasons in 2020 and 2023 were curtailed by quad injuries. However, he played a significant role in Cincinnati’s success when he was well.
After Reader suffered a season-ending injury, Bengals coach Zac Taylor stated, “He’s just such a leader, such a consistent force on the defensive line.”
The Roster Management System indicates that in 2023, Reader carried a $15.6 million cap charge. What type of market he will have after recovering from the accident is unknown. The Bengals will need to determine whether they can afford to bring Reader back because Cincinnati is paying hefty costs to keep its offensive core intact.
games, 42 catches, 656 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns
Outlook: Multiple factors led to Higgins’ least productive year with the Bengals. He battled a couple of serious injuries — a fractured rib in a Week 4 loss to the Tennessee Titans and a hamstring injury he suffered in a practice later in the season.
He also had to contend with not getting a long-term deal done before the start of the season
ESPN Stats & Information states that Higgins caught 54.5% of his targets, which is the lowest catch percentage in his career. But a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15 highlighted his worth. Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase suffered a shoulder injury near the conclusion of the game, but Higgins filled in and finished with four receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns, including a highlight-of-the-season-worthy 21-yard reception.
The Bengals have used the franchise tag in two of the last three offseasons, and Higgins is a strong contender to get it. A.J. Green, a receiver for Cincinnati, participated in the tag in 2020. Safety Jessie Bates III played on the tag and cashed in 2023, two years after that.
The Bengals can give Higgins a tag that is predicted by OverTheCap to be worth $21.7 million, even though Chase is expected to receive a large contract extension soon. In 2024, Chase will be entering the last year of his rookie deal; Burrow’s cap charge won’t increase until 2025. Higgins’ return for at least one more season is something that Burrow has already expressed his want for.
Burrow remarked, “I expect him to be back,” on January 8. “I know everybody in the locker room wants him back.”
If Higgins decides to leave Cincinnati, Deshaun Watson, the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, stated on a podcast over the weekend that he would like to see his fellow Clemson alum in Cleveland. David Mulugheta is the agent for both of them.
For the second year in a row, Mixon will have an uncertain offseason. Mixon agreed to a renegotiated contract in 2023 that reduced his $8.4 million salary cap. He took advantage of the two significant incentives in the new contract at the end of the season. In all, he scored 12 touchdowns and was paid $350,000.
And judging by the stats, he was undoubtedly productive. Mixon collected 1,410 yards from scrimmage. According to ESPN Stats & Information, since 2015, that is the eighth-highest total recorded by a running back in his seventh or later NFL season.
However, Mixon isn’t explosive enough for Cincinnati to get back at teams who stop Burrow and the Bengals passing game. Mixon placed 15th out of running backs with at least 100 carries when he ran for 10 yards or more against light defensive boxes, which consisted of six or less players.
The Bengals are still focused on that this offseason. Mixon’s deal will need to be decided by the Bengals soon. On the fifth day of the new league year, March 18, he is entitled to a $3 million roster bonus. The Bengals will save $5.8 million on their cap if they cut him before then.
Despite Mixon’s success, Cincinnati wants to see more huge plays on the ground in 2024, which may have an impact on whether Mixon plays for the Bengals for a record eighth season.
“I think this offseason we’ll be able to take a step,” Burrow stated.
Regarding quarterback mobility, this NFL offseason may be very interesting. Both Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins are free agents, and if their teams decide to make a move, a few more well-known quarterbacks may also become available. Additionally, the Bears’ impending choice regarding whether to retain Justin Fields or select from among a very strong quarterback draft class, which begins at the top with Caleb Williams, might topple the QB hierarchy. Over a dozen teams have the option to replace their present starting signal-caller.
We gave our NFL Nation writers the authority to make decisions at the most crucial position in football by acting as general managers for the clubs they cover. The acting general managers selected their starting lineups, constructed trade packages for quarterbacks that their teams would release, and negotiated free agent contracts. Additionally, they predicted cap casualty cuts and extensions. In order to address the future, they lastly made fun of the first three rounds of the 2024 draft. With the exception of a few Day 2 draft picks who will most likely sit in Year 1, wherever they land, this exercise was restricted to quarterbacks who would either start or contend to start in 2024.
So which teams pick up a new starting quarterback in our movement simulation of the next few months? Let’s predict the offseason’s starting QB changes with hypothetical trade packages, free agent signings and draft picks.
The Raiders made Fields an offer in which they would have selected him in the second and seventh rounds of the 2024 draft. Champ Kelly was with the Bears when they selected Fields, serving as their interim general manager throughout the latter half of the 2023 season. Even after Tom Telesco was appointed general manager, Kelly is still employed by Las Vegas as assistant general manager. This could depend in part on Fields’ perception by Telesco and the offensive coordinator the Raiders choose. However, Fields, a three-year NFL veteran younger than rookie Aidan O’Connell, is on his rookie contract and under team control for the next two years, so it makes financial sense for the Raiders.
After removing the interim tag from his head coach title, Antonio Pierce needs a long-term replacement behind center, and Las Vegas will probably let go of costly veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, who signed with the Raiders last offseason but didn’t pan out. Over the course of 13 games, Fields passed for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdown passes, nine interceptions, and he also gained 657 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in his run. — Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez
The “unique” situation the Bears have this offseason with the No. 1 pick—a position they didn’t earn by way of their own record (Carolina’s pick)—has been brought up time and time again by manager Ryan Poles. With one of the best defenses in the league and a strong offensive base, the Bears have an opportunity to build a contender by the next season by selecting the best quarterback in the draft class.
Therefore, the Bears would find it tough to turn down an offer like this one, which enables them to recuperate an early second-round draft pick, even though they may or may not want to move on from Fields. — Reporter for the Bears Courtney Cronin
As of right now, a few exceptional quarterbacks, including a former No. 1 pick who just guided his club to the divisional round, are in the running for the top spot in the 2019 free agent class. We asked our correspondent general managers if their teams would tag or extend their starting lineup before free agency opened, but teams still have the option to either re-sign or franchise-tag their pending free agents. Among them, two did…
This would be an extension because the cousins’ contract doesn’t expire until after the franchise tag deadline. As he exited the locker room for the summer, Cousins made it apparent that he thought the Vikings’ offer would reflect a similar wish. Cousins has stated frequently that he wants to finish his career in Minnesota.
“It’s not about the dollars,” he stated, “but it is about what the dollars represent.”
Put another way, Cousins, who has thrown 18 touchdown passes in just eight games this season, isn’t expected to be looking for a record-breaking average yearly compensation, but he does want the Vikings to provide guaranteed money for any commitments they make. Given that Minnesota is drafting at No. 11, it seems sense to bring back Cousins because they won’t likely select one of the best quarterbacks in the class. Let’s resign him to a two-year, $85 million fully guaranteed contract in this instance. This gives the Vikings two years to select and groom Cousins’ replacement, or until he turns 38. — Reporter for the Vikings Kevin Seifert
The Buccaneers’ decision: I’m signing Mayfield to an extension and holding onto my franchise tag choices for safety Antoine Winfield Jr. or receiver Mike Evans because there are a number of well-known free agents in the mix. I’m estimating three years and $80 million with escalators that potentially push the contract up to over $100 million, using Geno Smith’s deal from the previous offseason as a model but accounting for some cap inflation. When the following season begins, Mayfield will be 29 years old (Smith received a new contract last year at the age of 32). He has already experienced two postseason victories and threw for 4,000 yards this past season
The Bucs may either backload the deal, as the Seahawks did with Smith, or they can absorb the salary cap space in the area of $40 million to $50 million through vacant years. Given Mayfield’s history of injuries, the contract’s duration offers all parties enough security to be more than a bridge agreement while also allowing for some flexibility. — Buccaneers reporter Jenna Laine
Why the Broncos move on: With two games left in the season, Denver coach Sean Payton signified his intention to divorce the 35-year-old quarterback and renounce the $245 million, five-year contract that Wilson had signed in 2022. Though Wilson’s comeback has left both Payton and general manager George Paton with open doors, it is more likely that the Broncos will lose $85 million in dead money over the next two years and start over at the position. — Reporter Jeff Legwold of the Broncos
Some further possible league cutbacks include: Although four more passers were considered for prospective cuts, it is unlikely that any of them will be a starter in 2024. Garoppolo (Raiders), Mac Jones (Patriots), Zach Wilson (Jets), and Taylor Heinicke (Falcons) are among the players on that list.
The new deal with Atlanta is for $36 million over three years, with $20 million guaranteed. With $15 million totally guaranteed in 2024, $12 million in 2025 ($5 million fully guaranteed), and $9 million in 2026, I would frontload the contract. NLTBE incentives (designated as not likely to be earned) would be included, with an annual maximum of $1 million for an NFC South championship with Wilson accounting for 80% of the snaps in the regular season, $500,000 for each playoff victory in which he plays 75% of the snaps, an additional $1.5 million if he makes it to the Super Bowl while playing in 75% of the snaps, and an additional $2.5 million if he wins a Super Bowl.How he fits in with the Falcons: This season, the Falcons discovered just how devastating subpar quarterback play can be to a team’s aspirations of making the playoffs. Wilson is the best option available and has the greatest experience, according to owner Arthur Blank and CEO Rich McKay, who made it apparent that the team’s goal is to win with this squad. With playmakers Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts all slated for significant roles in 2024, Wilson would not have as much burden on him from the team surrounding him. In the event that things don’t work out, the contract conditions also permit a very easy split. Although I also thought about trading for Fields, in this case, Atlanta keeps its second-round pick and gains an improved quarterback on a respectable contract for head coach Raheem Morris. — Falcons’ Michael Rothstein
.
.
