The Cincinnati Bengals are all hands on deck to make sure the disaster that was the 2024 season doesn’t repeat itself next year. In what was arguably the best season of star quarterback Joe Burrow’s career performance-wise, the Bengals failed to make the playoffs.
Cincinnati closed the season on a five-game win streak, but it wasn’t enough to make up for a slow start to the season. The wasted year was especially concerning considering the noise around two of Burrow’s top weapons in the passing game, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
The Bengals failed to reach extensions with the receiving threats, meaning there’s a possibility one or both may play for a new team in the offseason, with Higgins being the likelier candidate to find a new NFL home.
Now, in another brutal break, it’s been reported that another one of Burrow’s receiving targets won’t be back for the 2025 season.
“New | (Bengals) rookie TE Erick All Jr. is expected to miss the 2025 season due to his ACL injury suffered Nov. 3. All’s injury exposed a complicated fix from a previous ACL tear and requires two surgeries. More on a tough break for a standout TE,” reported The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. on Tuesday.
It’s a brutal break for Cincinnati as they hope to get things turned around.
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“The tight end position All of a sudden became a big need no pun intended Here’s to a great recovery my guy,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Need to go ahead and try to draft another one,” added someone else.
“Have to feel for him. Unfortunately, that’s now a 3rd rounder and 4th rounder the Bengals basically lit on fire,” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Bengals pivot.