The Cincinnati Bengals have the biggest decision to make in the last few years of this franchise. Tee Higgins set to hit free agency. Ja’marr Chase coming off a historic NFL triple crown-winning year. It’s hard to think the Cincinnati Bengals won’t resign Higgins. What else could the Bengals universe look like heading into the 2025 season? Let me discuss with you the possible timeline the Bengals have for 2025 and how they could change their future and the future of fantasy teams.
Cincinnati Bengals Multiverse
Keepin’ the Band Together timeline
With Higgins set to hit free agency, the Bengals need to figure out what they wanna do with him. They could resign Higgins and keep him, Chase, and Joe Burrow together for the foreseeable future. This is the best option and they can keep the NFL’s best passing attack together. The Bengals are a few years off of a Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams. They need to avoid the horrific starts that they have every year. If they do they very well have found themselves back there this year. Earlier this year they only lost to the defending Super Bowl-winning Chiefs in a one-score game that came down to a last-second field goal by Harrison Butker and an untimely defensive pass interference to give the Chiefs a first down.
I think the roughly $60 million a year they would have to give to Chase and Higgins would be worth it. With a young and hopefully developing defense, you cross your fingers. The hope is that new Defensive Coordinator Al Golden can make this defense what it was when they went to the Super Bowl, good enough. The Bengal’s defense doesn’t need to be the best, they just need to be able to contain teams. They need to not be the reason they lose. That seemed to happen with every loss this year down the stretch.
If the Bengals keep Higgins I imagine a lot of the fantasy production that happened this year stays the same. I believe Ja’marr Chase is a top 2 fantasy football wide receiver and Tee Higgins is a wide receiver 2 with wide Receiver 1 upside. I also believe Joe Burrow stays a top fantasy quarterback. Bengals break-out running back Chase Brown only breaks out more into a top 10 fantasy running back. Chase Brown this year finished as running back 10 and I think he would be even better and finish as a top 5 running back.
Let the Tigers off the Leash timeline
As previously mentioned the Bengals have a horrible defense and a great offense. If the Bengals decide to let Tee Higgins walk they would have a lot of money to spend. They would try and improve the defense and pair another wide receiver with Joe Burrow and Ja’marr Chase. If the Bengals choose to look elsewhere besides Higgins then my top alternative option is, Keenan Allen. Keenan Allen is a proven vet who can instantly come in and help the development of young receivers. It gives Joe Burrow another safety net option opposite of Chase. In the case that they let Tee Higgins walk and sign a veteran like Keenan Allen, I think Higgins would go somewhere like the Patriots. He would be Drake Maye’s wide receiver 1 and would maintain his top 15 wide receiver status.
Keenan Allen went for over 100 receptions, 1200 yards, and 7 touchdowns 2 years ago as wide receiver one for Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Last year in a crowded wide receiver room for the Chicago Bears, he put up 70 receptions, 700 plus yards, and again 7 touchdowns. I think that if you take a route runner wide receiver like Keenan Allen and put him in the Cincinnati Bengals offense. I think it works out well and you can get him for a lot cheaper than Tee Higgins. If the Bengals decide not to re-sign Higgins then I hope they can replace him with an experienced receiver. Someone who won’t take time acclimating to the new offense.
In the case that they let Tee Higgins walk and sign a veteran like Keenan Allen. I think this would also make Chase and Burrow take slight steps back. It would make Chase only a top 5 wide receiver, which someone who just won a triple crown is an insult. I think Joe Burrow takes time to trust whoever else they add at wide receiver and doesn’t get comfortable until later into the season. I think they would rely more heavily on running back Chase Brown. It would skyrocket him into my top 5 fantasy football running backs.
Chase Brown this year finally broke into a starting role and emerged as a top-10 running back averaging 15.8 and that’s including 3 games as a backup. With his role now confirmed as running back one. I would expect him to put up even better stats and be a top 5 player at the end of the season. I also could see them counting on wide receiver Andrei Iosivas to step up in Higgins’s absence. If they try and make Iosivas wide receiver 2 then I expect him to take a good leap into a solid Flex play. Chase would have a similar production to this year.
Turn Tigers into Lions timeline
If Cincinnati decides to keep Tee Higgins and draft Ashton Jeanty, the entire league will be put on notice. I don’t think their defense matters anymore. The Bengals would be okay if they gave up 30 points a game because they would be putting up 40-plus. I think it would be similar to the Detroit Lions of this past year. A team where you have a Jamyhr Gibbs, David Montgomery-style running back duo in Jeanty and Chase Brown. Then you have an even better wide receiver group in Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
The Bengals this past year had the 3rd worst rushing attack and now you add the best running back prospect in years to this high-powered passing offense. This move makes the Bengals two-dimensional instead of just a passing team. I think Jeanty and Chase would both be top 15 running backs just like Detroit backfield if Gibbs and Montgomery. Tee Higgins and Chase would continue to be top fantasy receivers and I think Joe Burrow could potentially win MVP and be the top fantasy quarterback.
If they let Higgins walk and draft Jeanty, then I see them becoming this year’s Lions offense. They would rely very heavily on the running back room and let Joe Burrow win games only when he needs to. They would try and develop the run and with the run. In this instance, I see Jeanty and Brown being top 10 running backs. Joe Burrow would be a borderline top 10 quarterback and Ja’marr Chase falling back to wide receiver 7. Ashton Jeanty may also be gone by the time the Bengals selection comes up. If they pick any top running back, I expect them to commit the offense more toward Brown and the rookie.
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