2 lingering questions Bengals must answer before start of regular season

We've reached a unique portion of the NFL calendar -- that brief stage following preseason play before the start of the regular season. The period only last a couple of weeks, but a whole lot happens in that time, as rosters are slimmed down, depth charts are solidified and teams try their best to answer any lingering questions. Here's a look at two such questions facing the Cincinnati Bengals.

How/when will the Ja'marr Chase saga end?

Ja'Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals are running out of time to reach an agreement on an extension for the star wide receiver before the start of the regular season. So, the single largest lingering question looming over the franchise is how -- and when -- will the Chase saga end?

When it comes to a potential resolution, there's really three options. The first option is that an agreement is reached on an extension before the start of the season and everyone is happy. The second option is that an agreement isn't reached, and Chase's lack of participation spills over into the regular season. The third option is that no agreement is reached, but Chase decides to play out the season anyway. It will be very interesting to see which one of these three scenarios ultimately plays out.

For what it's worth, Bengals legend Chad Johnson stated that he doesn't think that Chase will step foot on the field without a new deal.

"He's not touching the field," Johnson said of Chase. "Certain players, they can separate their love for the game and business. If it was me, I'd have been out there practicing, deal or no deal, I don't care. But on the business side of things, Ja'Marr, his team, they understand now, and this is the only way to get deals done."

Johnson also stated that he expects the two sides to reach an agreement before the start of the season. so Bengals fans have to hope that prediction comes to fruition.

Is the backfield good enough?

Cincinnati's backfield will look very different in 2024 following the departure of veteran Joe Mixon. The question is: Will it be good enough? Newcomer Zack is expected to be the starter while second-year back Chase Brown is expected to have an expanded role. The problem is that neither guy has shown the ability to be a feature back on a contending team. Maybe that's due to a lack of opportunity, but the duo is unproven, at best.

Moss was recently ranked as the second-worst starting back in the league, and a recent report suggested that the Bengals were still interested in adding another back to the stable, which would suggest that they're not completely comfortable with the unit as currently constructed. Perhaps they'll look to add another back before the start of the season, or maybe they'll wait to see how the one-two punch of Moss and Brown looks before doing so.

With a potent aerial attack that features elite quarterback Joe Burrow and star receivers Ja'marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals don't necessarily need a dominant ground game. But, they obviously need a productive backfield in order to keep defenses honest. The Bengals will have to figure out if theirs if good enough to do that.