Bengals Roster: 10 most important players not named Joe Burrow

Obviously, Joe Burrow is the most important player on the Cincinnati Bengals roster. The quarterback position is arguably the most critical position on the gridiron. However, who are ten other players in the orange and black who are just as important?

The quarterback is the most important position on every team so whenever the “most important players” lists are made, everyone knows that the quarterback is going to be No. 1. That’s why for this list, I made it a point to omit Joe Burrow from the start.

Here are the most important Bengals who aren’t named Burrow. I split them into their positions so it’d be easier to follow along with.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference

Ja’Marr Chase & Tee Higgins

The first place to look at who is just as important to the one who throws the ball is the one who catches the ball. Everything has been written about Ja’Marr Chase during the 2021 season and the offseason.

He brought a new dimension to the Cincy offense: A deep threat the league has not seen since maybe Randy Moss. That may be hyperbolic but if Chase does it again this season even his haters will have to admit that one.

Chase finished 2021 third in receiving touchdowns and fourth in receiving yards, but 20th in receptions. What that tells us, which we already knew, is that his receptions were coming on deep passes or he’d break a short catch or a long run.

With Chase in the game and Burrow throwing to him, it always feels like the game could break wide open and a play is never dead. It’s a feeling Cincy fans haven’t felt in a long time. However, given his success this year he’ll probably get double-teamed a lot in 2022.

That is where the next guy on this list comes in. With Chase guarded and most likely removing another defensive back to cover Chase, Tee Higgins will definitely need to step up. I don’t envy defensive coordinators going against Cincinnati.

With Higgins nearly averaging 1,000 yards in his first two seasons he will definitely not go unnoticed. There is a multitude of reasons that Chase may not be firing on all cylinders in a game. When he is not, Burrow will need to rely on Higgins to fill his role.

Given his stats and performances, Higgins is definitely up to the task. Burrow can still succeed if Higgins and Chase go down, but it’ll be a much taller order. These two receivers give Burrow security.