This article is part of our Team Previews series.
Cincinnati Bengals 
The Bengals ruined the narrative for every rebuilding team by advancing all the way to the Super Bowl after winning just six games over the previous two seasons. They did so by building an impressive offensive core with early picks in the draft and under-the-radar signings on defense via free agency.
2022 Offseason Moves – Cincinnati Bengals
Key Acquisitions
- Hayden Hurst – TE (from Falcons)
Replaces C.J. Uzomah as Joe Burrow's top tight-end target.
- La'el Collins – OT (from Cowboys)
Highlights the Bengals' free-agency flurry of offensive linemen.
- Ted Karras – C (from Patriots)
Signed along with guard Alex Cappa on the first day of free agency.
- Daxton Hill – S (Rd. 1, No. 31 – Michigan)
Can play both safety or corner and was a "best available" pick.
- Cam Taylor-Britt – CB (Rd. 2, No. 60 – Nebraska)
The team hopes the second-rounder eventually can unseat Eli Apple.
Key Departures
- C.J. Uzomah – TE (to Jets)
The Bengals wanted him back but wouldn't match the Jets' offer.
- Auden Tate – WR (to Falcons)
Could carve out a bigger role with the receiver-starved Falcons.
- Larry Ogunjobi – DT (to Steelers)
Hurt his foot in the playoffs and failed a physical in the offseason.
Cincinnati Bengals 2022 Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Zac Taylor (Year 4)
Offensive Coordinator: Brian Callahan (Year 4) – West Coast offense
Defensive Coordinator: Lou Anarumo (Year 4) – 4-3 scheme
Stats to Know for the Cincinnati Bengals
2022 Vegas Projected Wins: 9.5 (T-9th)
2021 Record: 10-7
2021 Points Scored: 460 (T-7th)
2021 Points Allowed: 376 (17th)
2021 Point Differential: +84 (8th)
2021 Run-Play Rate: 40.5 percent (20th)
2021 Offensive Snaps: 1,046 (T-25th)
2021 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 20
2022 Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart
QB: Joe Burrow / Brandon Allen
RB: Joe Mixon / Samaje Perine / Chris Evans / Trayveon Williams
WR1: Ja'Marr Chase / Stanley Morgan
WR2: Tee Higgins / Mike Thomas
WR3: Tyler Boyd / Trent Taylor
TE: Hayden Hurst / Drew Sample
O-Line: LT Jonah Williams / LG Jackson Carman / C Ted Karras / RG Alex Cappa / RT La'el Collins (RotoWire Rank: No. 9)
Kicker: Evan McPherson
2022 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff (ET) |
| 1 | Sep 11 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1:00 PM |
| 2 | Sep 18 | @ Dallas Cowboys | 4:25 PM |
| 3 | Sep 25 | @ New York Jets | 1:00 PM |
| 4 | Sep 29 | Miami Dolphins | 8:15 PM |
| 5 | Oct 9 | @ Baltimore Ravens | 8:20 PM |
| 6 | Oct 16 | @ New Orleans Saints | 1:00 PM |
| 7 | Oct 23 | Atlanta Falcons | 1:00 PM |
| 8 | Oct 31 | @ Cleveland Browns | 8:15 PM |
| 9 | Nov 6 | Carolina Panthers | 1:00 PM |
| 10 | Bye | ||
| 11 | Nov 20 | @ Pittsburgh Steelers | 8:20 PM |
| 12 | Nov 27 | @ Tennessee Titans | 1:00 PM |
| 13 | Dec 4 | Kansas City Chiefs | 4:25 PM |
| 14 | Dec 11 | Cleveland Browns | 1:00 PM |
| 15 | Dec 18 | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4:25 PM |
| 16 | Dec 24 | @ New England Patriots | 1:00 PM |
| 17 | Jan 2 | Buffalo Bills | 8:30 PM |
| 18 | TBD | Baltimore Ravens | TBD |
Cincinnati Bengals Storylines for 2022
Will the Line Hold?
When we last saw quarterback Joe Burrow, he was running/limping for his life in Super Bowl LVI, under pressure on nearly every snap. Right tackle Riley Reiff injured his ankle Week 12, tried to return Week 14 and aggravated the injury enough that he missed the last three games of the regular season and the entirety of the playoffs. Reiff's replacement, Isaiah Prince, really struggled, giving the Bengals bottom-10 starters at right tackle, right guard (Hakeem Adeniji and Jackson Carman split time there and were equally poor) and center (Trey Hopkins).
The team made a conscious decision to pass on tackle Penei Sewell last offseason to draft wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, and in retrospect it's hard to question that choice, but it obviously came at the cost of Burrow getting sacked so frequently.
The Bengals instead addressed their O-line in a big way in free agency this year, signing Alex Cappa, Ted Karras and La'el Collins, likely changing the entire right side and slotting Karras at center. The moves won't just protect Burrow better, but also should help out top back Joe Mixon, who struggled to find running lanes after Reiff's injury.
The one spot on the line that's unsettled is left guard, where last year's second-round pick (Carman) will take on this year's fourth-rounder, Cordell Volson.
Strong Wide Receivers in a Tight Market
The NFL offseason featured elite wide receivers changing locations, as their previous teams refused to pay the going rate, perhaps spurred by Christian Kirk's exorbitant contract in Jacksonville. Thus, Davante Adams was dealt to the Raiders, Tyreek Hill was sent to the Dolphins, and A.J. Brown was traded to the Eagles.
Luckily for the Bengals, it'll be at least a couple of years before they face any contract-related tension with their top three wide receivers. Ja'Marr Chase is coming off one of the best rookie seasons ever (81-1,455-13), Tee Higgins (74-1,091-6) has just two years under his belt, and Tyler Boyd (67-828-5) signed a four-year deal in 2019. Between the receivers and franchise signal-caller Joe Burrow being on his rookie contract, the Bengals had the luxury to fortify the offensive line without making too many sacrifices elsewhere.
Chase won't be as efficient (11.4 YPT, 8.0 YAC) as he was in 2021, but he potentially could exceed the 128 targets he logged during his rookie season. Higgins played through a torn labrum that he suffered Week 2, which forced him to miss two games early on. He had surgery in March but was back to 100 percent for training camp. The team lacks an established fourth wide receiver and likely will move to fill that void before the season begins.
Is Joe Mixon a First-Round Pick?
Should you spend a first-round pick on Joe Mixon? It seems as if this question has been broached before, but it appears more pertinent in 2022 now that the Bengals offense is so potent.
On one hand, Mixon is a feature back, getting 292 regular-season carries and 48 targets in 2021, totaling 1,519 yards from scrimmage and a combined 16 TDs. With the passing game an ever present threat, Mixon is likely to continue to see very few eight-man fronts. Moreover, he'll benefit from the team's offensive line overhaul almost as much as Joe Burrow will.
On the other hand, Mixon only once has eclipsed 4.1 yards per carry and will be in his sixth NFL season, frequently a time when running backs begin to decline. Samaje Perine has started to replace Mixon in some key third- and fourth-down situations, much to the chagrin of Bengals fans watching the Super Bowl. Sometimes Perine is in there to handle blitz pickup duties, but that also means Mixon misses out on some targets and short-yardage carries.
Even though Perine is the backup, Chris Evans looms as an interesting threat on passing downs. The second-year back from Michigan battled ankle and hamstring injuries as a rookie but flashed some potential on a few plays. The Bengals didn't add any high-profile backs in the offseason, so Mixon should end up justifying the draft cost.
Fantasy Football Stock Watch
⬆️ Rising: TE Hayden Hurst
Hurst's role in Atlanta diminished with the arrival of Kyle Pitts, but he's back to being a No. 1 tight end in Cincy, with precious little competition on the depth chart for the first time in his professional career.
⬇️ Falling: TE Drew Sample
The Bengals used a second-round pick on Sample in 2019, and he caught 40 passes for 349 yards in 2020 after C.J. Uzomah was out for the season. But now he's behind Hayden Hurst after getting only 15 targets last year.
😴 Sleeper: RB Chris Evans
Samaje Perine is Joe Mixon's backup, but he's a known commodity and unlikely to succeed in an extended role as the starter. Evans is the proverbial "Door No. 3" in the event of a long-term Mixon injury.
🌟 Pivotal Player: Joe Burrow
Burrow was massive in the fantasy playoffs and then led the Bengals to the Super Bowl despite getting sacked more than anyone else in the NFL, including a record 19 times in the postseason. The Bengals refurbished their offensive line in free agency to better protect Burrow. Expectations are high despite a much tougher 2022 schedule.
For sports bettors in Ohio, you will finally bet on Joe Burrow in your home state as Ohio sports betting launches in January 2023.
Cincinnati Bengals Injury Report
QB Joe Burrow
Burrow suffered an MCL sprain in the final minutes of Super Bowl LVI, though he was able to remain in the game. The injury later was described as an aggravation of an injury initially suffered in December. He was able to practice without a brace on the knee during May OTAs and minicamp in June after playing the entire 2021 season with a brace, and all seemed well with him entering training camp. Alas, right on the eve of camp, Burrow needed surgery to have his appendix removed, and he'll miss multiple weeks. He still is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, however.
WR Tee Higgins
Higgins had an offseason procedure to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in March and missed OTAs this spring. The wideout sustained the injury in the second game of last season and logged a pair of DNPs as a result, but he then played through it the rest of the season. The team said back in May that Higgins likely would be at full speed by camp, which eventually came to pass.
The Bengals surprised everyone by placing Perine on the PUP list to begin camp after he participated in the offseason program. The Bengals didn't disclose the reason for his absence, but his stint on the list fortunately didn't last long, and Perine will look fend off 2021 sixth-rounder Chris Evans in order to cement the top backup/complementary role behind lead back Joe Mixon.
Training Camp Battle 2022 – Cincinnati Bengals
Jessie Bates is a critical component of the Bengals defense, so much so that the team placed the franchise tag on him in March after they couldn't come to terms on a long-term deal. However as training camp opened, the safety hadn't signed the tender and elected to not to report.
If Bates ultimately doesn't play, it puts a lot of pressure on rookies Daxton Hill, Cam Taylor-Britt and Tycen Anderson to produce right away. Hill and Taylor-Britt were the team's first and second-round picks, respectively, and both are "hybrid" defensive backs, capable of playing both corner and safety. In fact, Hill played more safety than corner at Michigan.
Their selections in the draft probably signaled the Bengals' intentions regarding Bates. They probably can't find room for him on a max contract deal when they know they have to do the same for Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase down the road. In addition to the three rookie defensive backs, CB Tre Flowers and S Brandon Wilson – who currently is on the PUP list – will take on outsized roles as well.
