5 Bengals with the most to prove heading into the 2024 season

As the Cincinnati Bengals prepare to start training camp this week, there’s several players on the roster who have a lot to prove heading into the season.

After missing the postseason last season, Cincinnati is hoping to reload and make another Super Bowl run. In order to do so, the Bengals need these five players to step up this season.

Let's take a closer look at the five Bengals with the most to prove heading into the upcoming season:

Joe Burrow, quarterback

All eyes will be on No. 9 for the next month. After two consecutive years of an injury during the month of July that prevented the franchise quarterback from practicing, the No. 1 priority for the Bengals is that Burrow gets through training camp without a major injury.

In 2022, Burrow underwent an emergency appendectomy the day before camp started. Last year, in the first week of training camp, Burrow suffered a calf injury that derailed the start of his season.

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Burrow is recovering from season-ending right wrist surgery he had in November and has made changes to his workout regimen to ensure he gives himself the best chance to be healthy. How much Burrow will be able to do in practice on a daily basis will be something to monitor.

The Bengals aspire to make another Super Bowl run and they need Burrow under center to do so.

Tee Higgins, wide receiver

After an offseason away from the team due to failed contract negotiations, Tee Higgins is expected to report for training camp. Higgins signed his franchise tag at the end of June and will play the upcoming season on the one-year tag worth $21.8 million.

Higgins has been training on his own away from Cincinnati but there’s nothing that compares to live reps with Burrow and his teammates. Heading into what is likely the final year they’ll play together, Burrow and Higgins will be able to fully utilize all the extra reps they can get together if they both stay healthy in July and August.

Higgins is coming off the worst statistical year of his career mostly due to only playing in 12 games. All signs point to Higgins and the Bengals going their separate ways after this season and the star wide receiver needs a productive season to ensure he gets a big payday in free agency next March.

Dax Hill/DJ Turner, cornerback

The most intriguing training camp position battle will be at cornerback with Dax Hill and DJ Turner competing for the starting spot opposite of Cam Taylor-Britt.

Turner is heading into his second year with the team after starting 12 games in his rookie season. During his first training camp in Cincinnati, Turner climbed the depth chart before ultimately landing the starting role. As the season went on, Turner appeared to hit the rookie wall. The second half of Turner’s season didn’t match the first in terms of production.

With rare speed for the position, the Bengals are hopeful he takes another step this year. He’ll have to earn his job, though.

After one year as a starting free safety for the Bengals, Hill got moved to cornerback. Head coach Zac Taylor and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo are trying to find the best home for Hill. Throughout the voluntary offseason program this spring, Hill competed with Turner outside at cornerback.

Joseph Ossai, defensive end

This is the most important year of Joseph Ossai’s career. After being selected by the Bengals in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, Ossai’s career has been one full of adversity.

In his first preseason game for Cincinnati, Ossai showed flashes of what he could be before suffering a knee and wrist injury and missed the entire season and postseason.

Since then, Ossai has played in 30 games and recorded 27 tackles with 4.5 sacks. His role has mostly been a rotational defensive end playing behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard.

The former Texas standout got a slow start to last season due to an ankle injury he suffered during the preseason. Ossai getting through a training camp fully healthy could go a long way to setting him up for a successful fourth year.

Brad Robbins, punter

For a second consecutive year, one of the biggest training camp battles will be at punter. Ahead of the 2023 season, Drue Chrisman and Brad Robbins competed for the job. Robbins ultimately won the job but went on to have an underwhelming first season as a starting punter in the NFL.

Robbins averaged 44.3 yards per punt, ranking 31 among 33 qualified punters and his longest punt was 62 yards. The Bengals are hopeful that Robbins, a player they drafted in the fifth round, will improve and beat out Austin McNamara in the preseason for the job.

The Bengals signed McNamara as an undrafted free agent in April out of Texas Tech.