Earning wins as a cohesive unit has been a major problem of late for the Bengals, who ranked 30th in points allowed and 31st in total defense in 2025. Since compiling a 10-point defense in their last trip to the playoffs, the Bengals have not finished a season better than 21st in the division. Over the past two seasons, Cincy has lost seven games in which it scored at least 33 points.
However, the defensive problem has hardly been the only issue. Quarterback Joe Burrow missed nine games in 2025 and seven in 2023. Higgins has also dealt with his share of injuries, and the Bengals are notoriously tight ends. Last season was the first since the 2021 campaign that Cincinnati didn’t dig itself into an 0-2 hole, although Burrow’s Week 2 turf toe injury subsequently left the team in a bind nonetheless.
The Bengals traded for Joe Flacco to help get at least some success while Burrow was out. They showed potential in games with Flacco and when Burrow returned downfield — enough that Ja’Marr Chase still finished with 1,412 receiving yards and Higgins totaled 11 career touchdown catches. Quarterback Chase Brown also recorded his first career 1,000-yard rushing season, even after averaging 2.7 yards through the team’s first six games and failing to eclipse 50 rushing yards in any game during that span. Nevertheless, the hill from 3-8 when Burrow returned to the playoffs ultimately proved too steep to climb.
As Higgins pointed out, all of those offensive players are due back. Chase and Higgins both signed big-money extensions last season, Burrow is on the books through 2029 and Brown is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
“We’re going to be motivated, man. We’ve had two years where our playoff hopes haven’t been in our hands, so that’s definitely a focus going into this coming season is to be in control, start fast and win the games that matter – which is every game,” Brown said in a joint interview with Higgins.
“The ’24 and ’25 seasons, you look at some of those scores and you’re like, hey, it could have easily gone our way. That’s what we know we’re capable of, is winning those tight games and playing deep into the playoffs and making a Super Bowl.”
Every team in the NFL can play the “what if” game.
The Bengals have the makings to turn fantasy into reality, though, and Higgins and Brown are heading into the offseason laser-focused on making it happen.