3 players who have played their way out of Bengals' plans in 2024

The Cincinnati Bengals will have to make some difficult decisions over the 2024 offseason. Some of the "easier" decisions they'll have to make will be moving on from these players or at the very least giving them a short leash to work with in 2024.

Here are three Bengals players who have made things tougher on themselves for 2024 in Cincinnati.

Nick Scott

The Bengals were put in a difficult position when both of their starting safeties left in free agency this past spring. Vonn Bell signed with the Panthers and Jessie Bates joined the Falcons, leaving the Bengals with 2023 first-rounder Dax Hill and no other reliable options for the other starting gig.

They signed former Rams safety Nick Scott to a three-year contract and it did not go well for Scott in the Queen City. He has a lousy PFF grade of 38.6 with a coverage grade of 32.3 while allowing 20 receptions off 27 targets. In other words, it wasn't surprising to see Jordan Battle eventually steal Scott's starting job.

There's a potential out on Scott's contract in 2024 so it will not be the least bit shocking if the Bengals take the out and roll with Battle in his spot instead. Signing Scott wasn't a bad move but it was clear that he wasn't the answer. Don't expect him to be in Cincinnati's plans moving forward.

Brad Robbins

Okay so this one isn't necessarily someone losing their job, but Brad Robbins is going to be on a short leash next year if he's brought back. That is a big if.

The Bengals spent one of their sixth-round picks in this year's draft on Robbins and fans were pumped to see this guy in action. One of the biggest moments in this year's AFC Championship game was when Drue Chrisman got a lousy punt off and Skyy Moore had a good return to help get KC good field position. From there, we all know what happened.

Robbins was drafted specifically to help the Bengals out in those situations but the former Michigan punter has struggled during his rookie year. A benefit to having a good punter is that they can flip the field for you when your offensive drive stalls. Robbins has not been doing that for the Bengals this year.

Maybe the Bengals don't give up on Robbins after just one year but he's going to be on an incredibly short leash if he's given another shot in 2024. The Bengals will be dipping back into the punter market next offseason to at least provide competition for Robbins next summer.

Cordell Volson

I'm not sure if anyone thought that Cordell Volson was going to be the long-term answer at left guard but this year has proven that they need an upgrade at the position. Volson has been abysmal as a pass-blocker this year, sitting with a PFF grade of 38.1. He's surrendered four sacks, which is tied for the ninth-most in the NFL.

The Bengals offensive line has been better in recent weeks but the weakest link has easily been Volson. He could be a nice backup option to have in the future but he's no longer a starting option for the Bengals if they want their offensive line to be as strong as possible.