7 Bengals who could be playing their final game with Cincinnati

Signed originally in 2021, Awuzie used to be the Bengals' No. 1 cornerback in a respectable secondary. He hasn't been at that level since tearing his ACL 14 months ago. And a shoulder injury may prohibit him from playing his final game anyways.

The writing has been on the wall for the seventh-year veteran since the drafting of DJ Turner II this past Spring. Turner played exceptionally while Awuzie was still working his way back to full health and confidence. The rookie wall Turner hit these past few weeks may open the door for Awuzie to return on an inexpensive one-year deal, but the Bengals cannot count on him to start anymore.

Awuzie will surely look for that opportunity elsewhere as the Bengals' youth transition continues. 

WR Tyler Boyd

No one has been here longer than the team's second-round pick all the way back in 2016. Boyd has seen pretty much everything in his eight years working out of the slot, and has been pretty much everything Cincinnati drafted him to be. With his second contract expiring in a couple months, the time to move on feels like it's now.

The Bengals should go all in on getting more explosive on all levels of their offense. The man known for his "Big Levels" celebration just doesn't have that kind of juice to him anymore, though he certainly left fans with a great moment against the Minnesota Vikings a few weeks back.

Boyd can be a solid veteran leader on a team that needs it more to finish out the back half of his career. The offers he'll get from around the league should be greater than the one to return here. 

LB Akeem Davis-Gaither

This may come down to what kind of market exists for Davis-Gaither. The former fourth-round pick has never been a consistent contributor to Cincinnati's linebacking corps, rather a niche player that mainly specializes in various special teams roles. His chances of ever cracking the starting lineup were erased when Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson signed new contracts last offseason.

A defense looking for a young and hungry player should be willing to give Davis-Gaither a shot at proving himself in a larger role. The Bengals should be interested in retining him, but they might not get the chance.

WR Tee Higgins

The big fish (or jellyfish in this case) is Higgins, who would become the consensus No. 1 wide receiver free agent if he were to hit the market. For that reason alone, it's presumed that the Bengals will use the franchise tag on him when March comes around if they cannot agree on a long-term contract.

The tag makes plenty sense considering Higgins' history of injuries. 2023 was no exception to this as he's played just 56% of Cincinnati's offensive snaps. It's also why the Bengals may opt to spend a little north of $20 million in cash and against the cap somewhere else.

Higgins also may not play Sunday as he's doubtful with a hamstring injury. The safe bet is he'll back in 2024, but you never really know.

WR Trenton Irwin

Irwin has definitely had his moments over the past two years rounding out the Bengals' wide receiver room. He's sure-handed and has earned the trust of Joe Burrow. But what he brings in experience and catching ability, he lacks in most other things that make a receiver great.

As the Bengals—hopefully—look to get more explosive and quicker everywhere on offense, Irwin should probably be on the outside looking in. He doesn't threaten cornerbacks with vertical ability, and cannot be relied to get open as a primary weapon.  

The prospect of both Boyd and Higgins departing this year gives Irwin re-signing more life, but no one would blame the front office for looking for something more. The Bengals have gotten more than expected out of him anyways.

TE Irv Smith Jr.

We don't really need three paragraphs on this. Smith was signed last year to lead the tight end room, and he's now at the bottom of it.He never clicked with the rest of the offense when it mattered, aside from a surprising performance on Sunday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills.

In short, he struggled catching and blocking. The job description of a tight end revolves around those two things specifically.

Smith was an intriguing low-risk, high-reward acquisition. It just so happened that the risk matched the actual reward. 

RT Jonah Williams

Call it a coin flip of you must. Williams' future is truly an unknown. A league-average starting tackle with experience on both sides of the line can still make a pretty penny on the open market, but if the Bengals offered to keep him around, would he get a better offer elsewhere?

Cincinnati has to consider the idea of upgrading Williams, but that's easier said than done. They'd likely have to take a swing on a replacement in the first round of the NFL Draft, or pay handsomely for one in free agency.

Does Williams even want to come back to the team he requested to be traded from less than a year ago? All these mysteries will be solved in time. For now, he'll wrap up another solid but unspectacular season. 

Honorable Mentions

• NT DJ Reader: He's arguably their most valuable player set to hit free agency, but he's not playing Sunday. It would still feel wrong to not include him.
• NT Josh Tupou: He's been around for a long time, and now feels like the time to move on. His peak was a few years ago.
• TE Drew Sample: There's a strong chance he's re-signed this offseason after the team found a productive niche role for him.
• TE Tanner Hudson: Insert Sample's excerpt here.