The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2023 season didn’t go according to plan. What started as a season where fans felt confident the Bengals could hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history ended with the team not even making the playoffs and going 1-5 in their division.
While the struggles from the 2023 season can’t be pinned squarely on these players, it’s safe to say that fans will not miss them if they’re not on the roster in 2024. Two of these players are set to hit free agency while another could be a cap casualty.
For a while now, the Bengals’ offensive line has been a serious problem. Fans weren’t exactly expecting to sign Cody Ford, who has mostly struggled since joining the league in 2019, even though the organization has addressed it in free agency over the past few offseasons.
The Bengals made it apparent early on that Ford would have an opportunity to earn an opening on the offensive line. He clearly did not experience that, since he was benched for the majority of the season. Ford played 78 offensive snaps, the most of which were as an extra lineman, according to PFF.
Although Ford wasn’t the cause of the Bengals’ dismal 2023 campaign, supporters wouldn’t be devastated if he wasn’t re-signed in 2024.