By far the most talented and the deepest position group in Cincinnati is the wide receiver room. The Bengals receivers are a group of players that can elevate the play of everyone on the offense. Given, their quarterback is a top-two talent in Joe Burrow, so let’s not tempt fate and try to roll with Jake Browning as QB1…
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From the arguably top receiver to a late-round FCS rookie who is making plays in preseason, this unit is set to show out. Coming into the trio of preseason games, there were legitimate concerns over whether or not the team would use roster spots for special teams-specific players. However, the thing about the Cincinnati Bengals is that they are adept at drafting wide receiver talent (forget about John Ross, please). This year’s draft haul could be signifying the future and the future is in good hands.
The Bengals Receivers Are Decided for 2023 and Beyond
This Year’s Unit is Settled
Heading into 2023, the Bengals receivers will be Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, Charlie Jones, and Andrei Iosivas. This year was going to be crucial for the Bengals for a multitude of reasons but improving depth was at the top. When Chase, Higgins, and Boyd are in the lineup, the offense is clicking. Unfortunately, when one or more go down with an injury, it was obvious.
The Chase/Higgins duo is the best in the NFL. In 2022, five teams had two players record over 1,000 receiving yards. In 2021, five teams also did the same. Only the Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers did so in both years with Chase/Higgins and Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Even then, Cincinnati narrowly missed having three 1,000-yard receivers in 2021 with Boyd coming up 172 yards short.
Over the last two years, Chase leads the way with 85.6 yards per game and Higgins added 70.7. They’ve both proven that they can do just about anything asked of them. Both are home-run threats in their own right and neither can be ignored in favor of the other. Add in Boyd and you have an incredible corps.
After that first line is where Cincinnati needed to improve. Irwin would have been considered to be left out but he came on at the end of the year and has earned the trust of Burrow. He even turned in a two-touchdown effort in that Week 16 win over the New England Patriots. .
The two newcomers bring a day-one talent. Despite battling a labrum injury, Jones looks like he’s developing nicely already. He’s going to be the backup slot receiver, only coming in to give Boyd a breather. The difference will be his punt-returning abilities. Don’t forget, Jones led the Big Ten in receiving last year. Lastly, Iosivas has been the star of the Bengals preseason. He easily led the way with 12 receptions for 129 yards and an impressive score in the finale. He’s ridiculously athletic and has a higher-than-you’d-think ceiling.
Back-Up the Brinks Truck
The biggest question facing the Bengals receivers now and in the future is will the team commit resources to more than Chase? The former fifth-overall pick is set to earn a massive extension and he’s eligible after this year.
Currently, the most expensive receiver is Boyd’s $10M+ cap hit. The concern is the fact that of the seven Bengals receivers making the team, only three are currently under contract for 2024. That number drops to two for 2025 but Chase’s fifth-year option will be picked up, obviously. Decisions will have to be made.
The thing about Cincinnati is that they tend to draft a year before they’re forced to. They have done so on the defensive side of the ball of late and they may have done so again. However, they likely hope they can get something decided soon.
The priority within the receivers is Higgins. He is more than deserving of a massive payday. If allowed to hit free agency in 2024, Higgins would be the most sought-after receiver on the market. Cincinnati would do well to lock him up. Local contract expert Andre Perrotta thinks a four-year, $95M contract with $58M+ guaranteed would be the expectation.
The biggest question will be about Boyd. The rumblings surrounding a possible extension have been quieter than those around Burrow, Higgins, etc. The Bengals rewarded Boyd with a four-year extension prior to the 2019 season and he’s continually rewarded the franchise for their loyalty. He’s been incredibly reliable in his time in Cincinnati, often being the subject of “3rd & Boyd” tweets when he converts on another crucial play. His 5,333 career yards are good for ninth in franchise history. If he turns out a solid 2023 season, he could leap up to sixth with an additional 802 yards.
Boyd is a fan favorite and an extension announcement would be met with universal praise.
The Future is Now, Old Man
If the Bengals cannot manage to extend Higgins and/or Boyd, they have found replacements already.
Starting with the more obvious, Jones is in line to back up and eventually replace Boyd. Over the course of this year’s preseason, Jones has worked almost primarily out of the slot. Overall, he recorded 79 yards off of nine receptions; 68 yards and seven receptions were out of the slot.
He’s looked adept at the slot thus far. Jones is a solid route runner and can find all of the soft spots in the zone. If the Bengals wanted to clone Boyd in a lab and pluck him out of the draft from Purdue, it’d be Jones. Coaches have taken notice of his sure hands and smart play-making abilities. There is a question surrounding his shoulder injury. While a solid rookie year is ideal for Jones and his development, getting healthy and being available in the long term to take over in the slot is paramount.
Iosivas, again, has been impressing in the preseason. He has the size, speed, and overall athleticism to fill a hole if asked. He’s looked quite good so far and has begun to generate hype and earned a cult-like following reminiscent of the Auden Tate days. Due to the fact that he was a late-round pick and is coming from Princeton, there will need to be some development.
That development could prove key in the near future. Higgins is in Cincinnati for 2023 and that’s it. He’s a prime Franchise Tag candidate for 2024 but if there are any doubts, Iosivas is likely next in line. Objectively, he’s a “we have Tee Higgins at home” type of player but even as an emulation, that’s a high ceiling.
It’s very possible Cincinnati has already considered the possibility of losing Boyd and Higgins within the next few years and that is why they double-dipped at receiver in the draft. Considering they went without one in the 2022 draft, the need was there. Jones and Iosivas, assuming health and a predictable amount of development, are slotted in as WR2 and WR3 in the Bengals receivers corps.
Ideally, Cincinnati is able to extend everyone for the littlest amount possible to keep each and every playmaker. If that’s the case, the Bengals raised the floor of the unit and it would hurt a little less if any receiver misses any time. Is that realistic? Probably not but it doesn’t hurt to remain optimistic.
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