Bengals’ biggest decisions include Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon
Cincinnati — Scenes from inside the Cincinnati Bengals’ locker room served as a reminder of the team’s impending reality the day after the season came to an official conclusion.
After games, players from rival teams who are friendly with one another usually exchange jerseys with customized notes. Others packed their things into bags or boxes, bid farewell to the town, and headed off. And some spoke of an uncertain future.
Among them was DJ Reader, a defensive tackle who was instrumental in Cincinnati’s reconstruction. Reader’s fourth season with the Bengals and his last one under his current deal came to an end in Week 15 due to a right quad injury. Reader wondered what free agency would hold for him and when this Bengals period would come to an end as he stood on crutches.
Reader commented, “It’s kind of interesting,” on January 8. “Last time, I was in the throes of the COVID-19 epidemic. I’ll be in the midst of this [injury predicament] this time. You never know. I’m not sure what to expect.”
Reader will be one of the few important Bengals who might join with a different team when free agency opens on March 11. The Bengals’ cap room will be little less than $60 million, per OverTheCap.com.
Additionally, Cincinnati will need to make a few crucial choices before a crucial 2024 campaign.
Prospects: Don’t let the figures deceive you. Shortly before quarterback Joe Burrow was selected with the first overall choice by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft, Reader was the first free agent the team signed.
Additionally, he had
