3 Bengals players with the most to prove in 2024

Tee Higgins, Wide Receiver

Tee Higgins is coming off of his worst statistical seson in the NFL. He had just 42 receptions, 656 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 -- all of those numbers represent career-lows.

Higgins will very likely be playing under the franchise tag in Cincinnati next season, and unless he agrees to an extension with the Bengals before mid-July, he'll become a free agent next offseason. So, he'll basically be playing for his next contract in 2024, and after a relatively down year, he needs to author a bounce-back campaign in order to maximize his market value.

Joe Burrow, Quarterback

Joe Burrow is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the entire NFL. The Bengals selected Burrow with the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he has lived up to expectations. Over his first four seasons, Burrow led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance, was named to a Pro Bowl and was also named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2021. His addition immediately catapulted Cincinnati into contender status.

However, Burrow was limited to just 10 games last year after suffering a season-ending wrist injury, and the Bengals failed to make the playoffs. It was the second time in Burrow's four-year career that he played just 10 games, and some have started to question his durability as a result.

Another stellar season from Burrow -- like the one he had in 2021 when he played in 16 games and threw for over 4,400 yards and 35 touchdowns should silence any remaining skeptics and prove that he's indeed worth the massive contract that the organization gave him last year.