The Cincinnati Bengals have been to a Super Bowl and two AFC Championship Games over the past two NFL seasons, but they’re still looking for their first Lombardi Trophy in team history. Is Cincinnati’s roster still among the best in the conference, or will the Bengals take a step back next year?

Let’s take a look back at Cincinnati’s offseason moves as we preview the Bengals’ 2023 campaign.

Everything You Need Ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals 2023 NFL Season

While the Bengals lost a good deal of talent on the defensive side of the ball, their most significant addition came at a familiar spot — offensive line.

Cincinnati Bengals Roster Changes

• Players Signed
  • QB Trevor Siemian
  • TE Drew Sample
  • TE Irv Smith Jr.
  • T Orlando Brown Jr.
  • OL Cody Ford
  • OL Max Scharping
  • EDGE Tarell Basham
  • LB Germaine Pratt
  • CB Sidney Jones
  • S Nick Scott
• Players Drafted
  • EDGE Myles Murphy
  • CB DJ Turner
  • S Jordan Battle
  • WR Charlie Jones
  • RB Chase Brown
  • WR Andrei Iosivas
  • P Brad Robbins
  • CB DJ Ivey

• Players Lost
  • QB Brandon Allen (49ers)
  • RB Samaje Perine (Broncos)
  • TE Hayden Hurst (Panthers)
  • CB Eli Apple
  • CB Tre Flowers
  • S Jessie Bates III (Falcons)
  • S Vonn Bell (Panthers)

While the Bengals took a volume-based approach to fix their offensive line in 2022 by signing La’el Collins, Alex Cappa, and Ted Karras, Cincinnati decided to take a big swing this offseason. Brown was the best pure left tackle on the open market, and his four-year, $64 million contract makes him only the 10th-highest-paid player at his position.

Joe Mixon and Jonah Williams figure to stick on the Bengals’ roster after the team didn’t draft an early-round running back or tackle, meaning Smith will be the only major change on the offensive side of the ball. Cincinnati surprisingly didn’t select a tight end this year, either, so Smith has a clear runway to replace Hurst as Joe Burrow’s top TE.

The Bengals’ secondary will look different now that stalwarts Bates and Bell have signed elsewhere, but Dax Hill — last year’s first-round pick — will claim one of those vacancies. Free agent addition Scott, earning $4 million per year, is the favorite to take the other safety spot, but Battle could compete to start later in the season.

Cincinnati signed Basham and Jones to paper over their pre-draft holes, but Murphy and Turner should be ahead of those veterans on the DE and CB depth charts, respectively. Murphy, especially, should have a chance to contribute as a rotational rusher who can also shift inside on clear passing downs.

Cincinnati Bengals Coaching Staff in 2023

• Head Coach: Zac Taylor
• Offensive Coordinator: Brian Callahan
  • QB coach: Dan Pitcher
  • RB coach: Justin Hill
  • WR coach: Troy Walters
  • TE coach: James Casey
  • OL coach: Frank Pollack
• Defensive Coordinator: Lou Anarumo
  • DL coach: Marion Hobby
  • LB coach: James Bettcher
  • CB coach: Charles Burks
  • Safeties coach: Robert Livingston
• Special Teams Coordinator: Darrin Simmons

The Bengals were one of the winners of the 2023 head coaching search circuit, if only because both of their coordinators will stay put after receiving interest around the league.

Callahan interviewed with the Cardinals and Colts (twice) and was considered a potential candidate for the Broncos, while Anarumo conducted two interviews with Arizona. Assuming the Bengals are contenders again next season, Callahan and Anarumo might land top jobs in 2024. Cincinnati will need to have contingency plans in place if they lose one or both of their coordinators next spring.

Predicting the Cincinnati Bengals Depth Chart

Offensive Depth Chart

• QB: Joe Burrow, Trevor Siemian, Jake Browning
• RB: Joe Mixon, Chase Brown, Trayveon Williams, Chris Evans
• WR: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Charlie Jones, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas
• TE: Irv Smith Jr., Drew Sample, Devin Asiasi
• LT: Orlando Brown Jr., Jackson Carman
• LG: Cordell Volson, Max Scharping
• C: Ted Karras, Trey Hill
• RG: Alex Cappa, Hakeem Adeniji
• RT: Jonah Williams, La’el Collins, Cody Ford

Defensive Depth Chart

• DT: DJ Reader, B.J. Hill, Zach Carter, Josh Tupou, Jay Tufele
• EDGE: Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai, Tarell Basham
• LB: Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Joe Bachie
• CB: Chidobe Awuzie, Cam Taylor-Britt, Mike Hilton, DJ Turner, Sidney Jones
• S: Dax Hill, Nick Scott, Jordan Battle, Michael Thomas, Tycen Anderson

Special Teams Depth Chart

• K: Evan McPherson
• P: Brad Robbins
• LS: Cal Adomitis
• KR: Charlie Jones
• PR: Charlie Jones

2022 Results and Standings

The Bengals started the 2022 campaign 0-2 following two close losses to the Steelers and Cowboys and didn’t get above .500 until November. But an eight-game winning streak to close the season helped Cincinnati finish 12-4 and earn the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs.

In the Wild Card Round, Cincinnati faced Baltimore for the third time in three months and pulled out a late victory thanks to Sam Hubbard’s 98-yard fumble return. The Bengals then trounced the Bills in the Divisional Round, earning a 27-10 victory in Buffalo to advance to the AFC Championship Game.

Facing the Chiefs in an AFC title game for the second consecutive year, Cincinnati tied the game at 20 early in the fourth quarter. But disaster struck when Joseph Ossai committed an unnecessary roughness penalty on Patrick Mahomes with just eight seconds remaining in regulation, allowing Kansas City to hit a 45-yard field goal for the win.

2023 Power Ranking and Season Outlook

The Bengals rank third in Dalton Miller’s post-draft NFL Power Rankings, sitting behind only the Chiefs and Eagles, both of whom made last season’s Super Bowl.

Cincinnati doesn’t have any true weaknesses on its roster. They were one of five teams whose offense and defense both finished inside the top 10 in terms of efficiency, alongside Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas, and Buffalo.

Burrow is arguably the second-best quarterback in the league behind Mahomes, and his skill set only enhances what might be the best season of weapons in the league. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd all missed time in 2022, but if they can stay healthy, few teams rival the Bengals’ pass-catching talent.

While Cincinnati’s defense will continue to shed veterans each offseason, the Bengals have spent the last two drafts adding young defensive players as replacements. Given that Cincinnati will have to pay Burrow, Chase, and potentially Higgins at top-of-the-market rates, they’ll have to constantly bring in affordable options on the defensive side of the ball and hope Anarumo can make it work.

The AFC isn’t getting any easier, and neither is the AFC North. Lamar Jackson is back in Baltimore with an improved set of weaponry, while Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson could take steps forward in their second seasons in their respective offensive structures.

It will always be tough sledding for the Bengals as long as Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jackson, Justin Herbert, and others are in the AFC, Cincinnati is set up as well as any club to compete for the foreseeable future.