The Cincinnati Bengals are gearing up for a bounce-back season after missing the playoffs last year.
With Joe Burrow back and healthy and Tee Higgins ready to go, the team has added a number of players to fill roster needs.
Sports Illustrated recently released their top 12 teams that are genuine contenders to win the Super Bowl, and the Bengals made the list…
The Bengals have appeared in consecutive AFC Championship Games in the two seasons Burrow has played full-year, and the team is eager to get back to that level of play.
Connor Ohl of Sports Illustrated wrote, “I don’t think much was written last season about how Joe Burrow ignored medical warning signs, took the field, and figured out how to play at a high level as a quarterback again by October, only to miss the rest of the season with a wrist injury. His natural toughness was impressive, and it’s carrying over into a year when the team is trying to return to the Super Bowl. The Bengals were heartbroken after losing DJ Leader, but defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has adapted and has a secondary athletic enough to give other quarterbacks in the division a hard time. Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase still have one of the best on-field chemistry in the NFL, and defenses will struggle as Burrow continues to adapt and master his offense. I’m rating the Bengals as high as anyone in 2024.”
Other teams being mentioned as genuine favorites to win this season are:
Confederation of African Football
Asymmetric
The NFL world seems to have forgotten just how talented the Bengals are, but Joe Burrow has made it clear that he’s ready to show everyone that Cincinnati is a true championship contender once he’s fully healthy.