3 ways Bengals can extend their championship window in a lost season

The Cincinnati Bengals' dreams of winning a Super Bowl this season were dashed when it was announced on Friday that Joe Burrow would miss the rest of the season with a torn ligament in his wrist that would require surgery. It's a brutal blow to this team because, as mentioned, the team and the fans were thinking Super Bowl or bust this year.

Unfortunately, things never seemed to click at the right time for the Bengals even when Burrow was healthy. They were 1-3, then bounced back to sit at 5-3, but lost the next two games and lost their quarterback. This season was important for the Bengals because it was the last year for Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, D.J. Reader, and other big names on the team as far as their contracts are concerned.

The Bengals are also going to have to pay Ja'Marr Chase next offseason and Burrow's going to get more expensive in the next few years too. All of that paired with losing key talent means that the Bengals have to nail the draft moving forward.

With all of that said, the Super Bowl and playoff hopes are no more but there are ways that the Bengals can salvage the 2023 season and extend their championship window.