With the Bengals out of it all I want for the rest of the season is to engage in schadenfreude and I had two heaping helpings of it today. Thanks NFCW!

Tyler Boyd is a free agent at the end of this season. He will be 30 years old next season, and the Bengals typically do not do long-term contracts for players over 30. He hasn’t had a great season, but someone with a lot of cap space and a new QB will definitely pay for him. Spotrac has his market value at $13m AAV, and someone will pay that, just not the Bengals. He will be gone in FA, and the team will have a new slot receiver.

Joe Mixon is under contract for 2024 with a cap hit of $8.5m. He can be cut before the season with a savings of $5.75m and a dead cap hit of $2.75m. The Bengals typically are allergic to dead cap, but I still think he gets cut. He hasn’t been terribly effective, and similar production may be on the roster already, or can be signed in FA or drafted.

Sorry, they will both be gone next year. The $18m it would take to retain both will be earmarked for Chase, or possibly another FA OL.

If he’s there when we pick Bowers. Otherwise we need a RT

It sucks. We came into the season thinking Super Bowl, and the season is effectively over before thanksgiving.

But…I’m a 54 year old fan who has seen a lot of seasons over by thanksgiving. The difference is that this team will be back and hungry next year, with the added bonus of better draft picks and (likely) a 4th place schedule. This team is still on an upward arc. Better days are ahead!

A pick in the 20s means that you made the playoffs, which sadly is not happening. They are more likely to be top 10 at this point. It is possible that the only remaining game they will be favored in is the Colts.

I don’t see the team meeting Jonah Williams’ likely asking price next season. Volson at least needs some competition at LG. Cappa, Karras, and Brown are all signed for next year.

The team needs a plug and play starter at RT at the very least. The first or second round pick should go there.

Ick. It’s still the organization that employs him.

For a team with SB aspirations, the backup should be good enough to win a game or two if your starter misses a few weeks. I’m not sure if Browning is that or not.

When your team is QB-centric and he goes out for the season, it’s Game Over Player One.

They are honestly better off losing out, playing a 4th place schedule next year, getting better draft positioning, and maybe convincing other teams not to steal Lou.

So did you expect anyone on the Bengals’ staff to tell our most important and competitive player to sit for what was essentially a playoff game? It may or may not have been bothering him. He definitely landed on it awkwardly on his second to last pass.

Just wait until the majority of BMW owners are driving (gasp!) an EV!

Football has non-guaranteed contracts, constant risk of major injury, and an earning window of 3-6 years at the best. I dare say that if the same applied to you, you would take the bag over maybe winning a championship with your old team. And yeah, we are talking about millions so it is hard to feel sorry for them at times, but that money may be the last serious earnings these guys have for the rest of their lives. Not to mention that their job basically involves being willingly involved in a car wreck 17 times per year.

At the end of the day, it’s business.

So how did the same scheduling department book this game this week, Bengals/Ravens next week, and think, “Yeah, this is about the same level of competition”?

If ATL had taken Chase, then Sewell was undoubtedly the right pick. I would have been mad if they had taken Pitts or another receiver. The preexisting chemistry with Chase and Burrow was enough of a good gamble.

He may have better hands than any of our current TEs, and has a great instinct for the ball.