Cincinnati will have to make plenty of tough decisions this offseason.
CINCINNATI — The Bengals beat the Browns 31-14 in Sunday’s season finale. Cincinnati finishes the 2023 season with a 9-8 record, which includes a 4-3 mark with Jake Browning at quarterback.
It was their third-straight winning season. Here are our takeaways, which include thoughts on the future of key veterans on the roster:
Boyd has likely played his last game for the Bengals. The veteran is set to become a free agent in March for the first time in his career.
The Bengals picked Boyd in the second round (53rd overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft.
He went on to top the 600-yard receiving mark in seven of eight seasons, finishing with 513 career receptions for 6,000 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Never say never on a possible return, but with Ja’Marr Chase eligible for a contract extension, Tee Higgins also set to become a free agent and the emergence of guys like Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones—it’s hard to find a realistic path for Boyd to be back next season.
“I don’t know what I’m going to be doing or what my future holds,” he said after the game. “The season is over. I spent my whole career here. I’ll never not keep them in mind or not want to come back. I’ll play it by ear. I’m glad to be a part of such a prestigious team.”
The Bengals had 5-straight losing seasons to start Boyd’s tenure. Over the past three years, they’ve won 31 regular season games, made it to Super Bowl LVI and back-to-back AFC Championship Games.
Boyd’s value cannot be overstated, at least in Browning’s eyes.
“He’s been my locker mate the whole year. Been a big part of helping me bounce back when I throw three picks in a game,” Browning said. “I think an underrated part of the whole locker room. And the receiver room, obviously, we got a ton of talent in there. He’s a big, unsung hero of the locker room. I hope he’s back. But wherever he goes, someone is going to be lucky to have him in the locker room.”
If Tyler Boyd did play his last game for the Bengals, his tenure ends with 513 career receptions. That's pretty cool. He also hit the 6,000-yard mark in yesterday's season finale. pic.twitter.com/7x884G4NzI
Tee Higgins was inactive on Sunday due to a hamstring injury. The 24-year-old finished with career-lows in receptions (42), yards (656) and touchdowns (5).
The career-lows are mostly due to health. He missed time with multiple injuries throughout the season and is scheduled to become a free agent in March.
Will he make it to free agency?
Higgins would love to become a free agent. Every player wants to be a free agent during their career. He would also like to return to Cincinnati on a long-term deal.
The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.
If the Bengals don’t sign Higgins to a long-term extension, they’ll simply place the franchise tag on him, which will be worth roughly $21 million next season.
Will they make him play on the tag or be willing to trade him? It’s not something they would traditionally do, but getting value in return for a player of Higgins’ caliber has to be a priority.
It’s hard to envision a scenario where the Bengals let Higgins become a free agent, but whether or not they’re willing to tag and trade him is a completely different story.
Joe Mixon’s Future
Much like Boyd, it’s fair to wonder if Mixon has played his last game for the Bengals.
He’s set to have an $8.5 million cap hit in 2024 and the team has an out in his contract. Mixon did run for 1,034 yards this season, topping the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth time in his career. His 111 yards on 14 attempts against Cleveland also bumped up his average to four yards-per-carry.
Mixon’s future could come down to the Bengals’ plan in other key areas. What do they do at defensive tackle? Will they make a run at pending free agents like DJ Reader? What about Jonah Williams?
Mike Brown loves Mixon and there’s certainly a path to him returning next season, but the team will have to evaluate what they’re paying him and if they could use that money elsewhere to keep Higgins or other key pieces moving forward.
The Bengals have gotten cheaper in the secondary over the past two seasons. They could do the same at running back. Don’t be shocked if they build around Chase Brown, who flashed as a rookie. He’s not a bell cow back, but he showed that he can be an explosive option in a backfield by committee.
Dax Hill and the Young Secondary
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Hill has taken plenty of criticism over the past few weeks and some of it is deserved.
The Bengals gave up far too many big plays this season. This was also Hill’s first season playing free safety.
The 23-year-old was on the field for 100% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps (1,091) this season. He’s athletic, flashed his playmaking ability and finished the season third on the team in tackles (110), behind Logan Wilson (135) and Germaine Pratt (118).
He also finished with 11 passes defensed and two interceptions. There are reasons for concern, but there’s also belief within the organization that Hill will take a leap this offseason.
They didn’t get him on the field much as a rookie and he didn’t play the deep safety role at Michigan. This was his first season logging that many snaps in that role. He made some mistakes. That doesn’t mean they’re going to quit on him.
Hill definitely needs to take a step forward, but it’s hard to imagine the front office investing major resources into the safety spot this offseason.
They expect Jordan Battle and Hill to develop. They may move on from Nick Scott. If they do, then they’ll likely add a third option with Tycen Anderson coming off of a torn ACL.
Some will say they need to completely overhaul the safety room. Others think they should move Hill to the nickel cornerback spot. Never say never, but that isn’t something the Bengals plan on doing at this moment.
After playing the Chiefs in back-to-back AFC Championship Games, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow didn’t have the chance for a rubber match in 2023 due to a season-ending wrist injury.
It’s safe to say that Joe Burrow is a fan of Cincinnati’s offseason additions. While speaking with media members during offseason workouts, Burrow expressed som
The Cincinnati Bengals are going to have a nightmare maintaining their wide receiver room over the next few years and they missed an easy chance to hold firm.
