The Cincinnati Bengals were fortunate to keep most of their roster from Super Bowl LVI intact but they probably won't be able to keep key players from this year's roster during the 2023 offseason.
Between talented players entering contract years, old age, and just inconsistencies from some of the pending free agents, let's take a look at four members of the Cincinnati Bengals who we aren't expecting to be on the team next year.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference
Jessie Bates
We'll start with the easiest entry. For a hot minute, it didn't seem likely that Jessie Bates would even be on the Bengals' roster THIS year but he did eventually sign the franchise tender and is playing in what should be his final year in Cincinnati.
The Bengals prepared themselves for Bates' eventual departure by drafting Dax Hill in the first round of this year's draft. Hill isn't getting a ton of playing time while Bates is still in town but he'll be the replacement for Bates when he inevitably leaves this offseason.
For what it's worth, Bates' market value on Spotrac is a five-year contract worth $80 million with an annual salary of $16 million. That's a lot of dough to dish out to a safety.