What A Terrible Sad News: Cincinnati Bengals QB Suffers Injury” That Will Take Him….
Way back in December of 2019, the one-win Cincinnati Bengals played the three-win Miami Dolphins in a game that could have determined who got the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
All while this was happening, Joe Burrow was having the greatest year for a quarterback in the history of NCAA football, and by the end of the year, it was clear he would be chosen first.
The Bengals luckily lost a wild game, 38-35, in overtime. In that game, the Bengals newest tight end, Mike Gesicki, who signed via free agency, caught six passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns, helping push the Dolphins over the top and Burrow right into the Bengals’ waiting arms.
Gesicki remembers that game, and he called it “The Joe Burrow Bowl.”
And five years later, Gesicki couldn’t turn down the chance to play with Burrow.
“They could have said it’s the worst place in the world,” he said. “When you have No. 9 at quarterback, I was like, ‘alright, that is a place I want to go.’”
Gesicki joins tight end Drew Sample, who just re-signed with the team on a three-year deal, and hopes to join both C.J. Uzomah and Hayden Hurst as the third tight end that Burrow has gotten paid. The Bengals are hoping for the same, and they’re hoping they can avoid a repeat of Irv Smith Jr.
Last season, the Bengals had several tight ends in the mix as receivers. The Bengals are surely hoping Gesicki can lead the tight end room in 2024 like Uzomah and Hurst did in the past.
For most Cincinnati Bengals fans, seeing the departure of Joe Mixon is a sad sight. Mixon was drafted in 2017 out of the University of Oklahoma in the 2nd round. A young college kid faced with a lot of controversy out the gate, he silenced all doubters and critics. Mixon was a class act and a leader during his entire tenure, which lasted seven seasons in Cincinnati.
He represented the city with the highest magnitude. Mixon ranks 3rd all-time in rushing yards for the Bengals franchise, racking up 49 touchdowns and well over 6,000 scrimmage yards. Mixon firmly established himself as one of the most productive and efficient running backs in the franchise’s history.
However, as sad as it may seem, it was the right move. Mixon was due close to $10 million in 2024, and by moving him to the Houston Texans, the Bengals front office cleared that contract and allowed them to sign a cheaper and younger running back in Zack Moss.
Exit: Mixon, Enter: Brown?
Plus, second-year back Chase Brown could be the dark horse that many have kept a quiet voice about heading into the 2024 NFL season. After a solid rookie campaign, expect Brown to be an extreme focal point for Cincinnati’s offense, potentially even more so than Moss.
It won’t be easy to beat out Moss after the year he had last season with the Colts. Moss racked up a career high in attempts with 183 and totaled 794 yards and five rushing touchdowns, as well as 27 receptions for 292 yards and two touchdowns. He set career high’s in nearly every statistical category.
In Brown’s rookie season, in minimal touches, he totaled 44 rushes for 179 yards, 14 receptions for 156 yards, and a touchdown. The stats may not blow you away, but the volume just wasn’t there. Now, with Mixon out of the picture, it should provide an opportunity for Brown to see not only a higher volume of carries, but potentially even become the lead back.
Brown has an explosive tenacity about his play style. When he gets to the second level, his speed is nearly impossible to catch. During his 54-yard touchdown catch-and-run against the Colts last season, he reached a top speed of 22.05 miles per hour. This was the second fastest mark all season, behind only DK Metcalf.
Joe Mixon should prosper in a Texans offense that had a lot of success last season, and now the Bengals offense looks to move forward with a different look in a running back room that will hope to improve from 2023.
