Bengals Depth Chart 2024: Offense
Here's a look at the potential Cincinnati Bengals' 2024 offense, factoring in free agent signings, departures, and players the team might select in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Bengals QB Depth Chart
| Starting QB | Backup QB |
| Joe Burrow | Jake Browning |
Joe Burrow was the clear No. 1 QB and among the best in the NFL going into 2023, but he sustained a wrist injury that put him out for the season. With Burrow done for the year, Jake Browning became the team's starting QB. Browning beat out former Broncos starter Trevor Siemian during the preseason to win the backup job behind Burrow.
The Bengals will start 2024 with Burrow back in the saddle, and Browning is expected to fill his usual backup role. The Bengals’ success in 2024 will rely mainly on Burrow’s performances, which you can bet on using our Ohio sportsbook promos. If Burrow is healthy and back to his usual self, Cincy will be far more potent than in 2023.
Bengals RB Depth Chart
| Starter | Backup | Third String | Fourth String |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Moss | Chase Brown | Trayveon Williams | Chris Evans |
With former first-string running back Joe Mixon’s departure to the Houston Texans, the Bengals’ priority-carrying duties this year will come from Zack Moss, who signed a two-year deal with the team. Mixon’s loss will be felt—he’s third in total franchise rushing yards and second in career rushing touchdowns—but many believe Moss could be an upgrade at the position. Moss carried 183 times for 794 yards with the Colts in 2023. Backup duties will fall to Chase Brown again, while Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans will vie for the third slot.
The Bengals running back department could undergo a dramatic shift after the 2024 NFL Draft, so bookmark this page to stay on top of all the latest updates.
Bengals WR Depth Chart
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | Andre Iosivas |
| Tee Higgins | Charlie Jones |
| Trenton Irwin | Shed Jackson |
Even with Tyler Boyd's departure, the Bengals have one of the league's best collections of wide receiver talent. Trenton Irwin, signed to a one-year contract extension in March, will compete with Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas behind Chase and Higgins. Undrafted free agent signee Shed Jackson might also be able to work his way into the receiving corps mix.
Bengals TE Depth Chart
| Starter | Backup | Third String |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Gesicki | Tanner Hudson | Drew Sample |
Former New England tight end Mike Gesicki signed a one-year deal with the Bengals in March. Gesicki caught 29 of his 45 targets in 2023, amassing 244 yards and two touchdowns for the Patriots. Gesicki could be in line for a more robust season with the Bengals, as it's likely he'll be the TE focus instead of sharing time with Hunter Henry and Pharaoh Brown, as he did in New England. The departure of Irv Brown to Kansas City will allow Tanner Hudson, who became the Bengals' top tight end target after starting 2023 on the practice squad, to fight for playing time against Gesicki and Drew Sample, who also signed a new deal with the Bengals in the off-season.
Bengals Offensive Line Depth Chart
| Position | Starter | Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Left tackle | Orlando Brown Jr. | Jackson Carman |
| Left guard | Cordell Volson | Cody Ford |
| Center | Ted Karras | Trey Hill |
| Right guard | Alex Cappa | Jason Kirkland |
| Right tackle | Trent Brown | D'Ante Smith |
The Bengals starting O-line from 2023 returns essentially unchanged this season, with one exception: former starting right tackle Jonah Williams signed a 2-year, $30 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals. Williams had requested a trade away from Cincinnati early in the season but ultimately ended up sticking around for the rest of the year. Trent Brown will step into the vacancy created by Wiliams' departure.
Bengals Depth Chart 2023: Defense
Now, a look at the Cincinnati Bengals' 2023 defense:
Bengals Defensive Line Depth Chart
| Position | Starter | Backup | Third String |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defensive End (L) | Sam Hubbard | Cam Sample | Myles Murphy |
| Defensive Tackle (L) | Sheldon Rankin | Jay Tufele | Myles Murphy |
| Defensive Tackle (R) | B.J. Hill | Zach Carter | Devonnsha Maxwell |
| Defensive End (R) | Trey Hendrickson | Joseph Ossai | Jeff Gunter |
The Cincinnati Bengals' depth chart will have few position groups stronger than their defensive line. Having undergone an exodus at safety, it is a huge positive that the team has been able to keep this group together. The Bengals' defensive end duo combined for 14.5 sacks last season and 21.5 the year prior. The team's interior is also among the most underrated in the NFL with Reader posting an 87.3 overall PFF grade. The team's run defense, led by Reader, was formidable. It sat fifth in the NFL in opponents rushing yards per attempt at just 4.1.
The Bengals ranked 29th in sacks per game last season, significantly lower than their 11th-place finish in 2021. Last season, both Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson went down with injuries, leaving the team hurting for pass rushers. That's why they opted to add Clemson standout Myles Murphy in the first round, which most analysts thought was a steal for Cincinnati. Be sure to check out any Ohio sportsbook promos to place a bet on Murphy. 2022 third-round pick Joseph Ossai will also be able to spell Hubbard and Hendrickson, both to help their in-game endurance and to aid their season-long strain.
The Bengals defensive line, in the run game, hasn't been as good as expected, but it did rack up some sacks in the first half of the season. Hendrickson and Hubbard continue to exceed expectations. The Bengals are allowing opposing run games to succeed which is a concern moving forward. They have been shredded a few times on the ground. Unfortunately, that's set to get worse as Reader will miss the rest of the season due to injury.
Bengals LB Depth Chart
| Starter | Backup | Third String |
|---|---|---|
| Akeem Davis-Gaither | Devin Harper | Joe Bachie |
| Germaine Pratt | Akeem Davis-Gaither | Devin Harper |
| Logan Wilson | Shaka Heyward | — |
Germaine Pratt is the cornerstone of this unit; he recorded 118 tackles in 2023 with two interceptions and has improved his statistics in his first five seasons in the league. His tandem with Logan Wilson—who added four interceptions to his 135 tackles—was incredibly productive for the team in 2023; together, they recorded 253 tackles. And despite a down year in 2023—recording a career-low 17 tackles in 13 games played—the team signed Akeem Davis-Gaither to a new one-year deal. He’ll likely see more snaps this season than the 9% of total snaps he saw in 2023.
Bengals CB Depth Chart
| Position | Starter | Backup | Third String |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornerback | DJ Turner | Mike Hilton | Allan George |
| Cornerback | Cam Taylor-Britt | Dax Hill | DJ Ivey |
Cincinnati hopes that the 2022 second-round pick, Cam Taylor-Britt, continues progressing in his development; Taylor-Britt’s performances are a crucial factor in how the secondary performs. D.J. Turner II will continue the starting role he was handed in week 12 last season when he accumulated 50 tackles, 1 sack, a fumble recovery, and seven disrupted passes. Dax Hill will back Taylor-Britt on the left, and Mike Hilton—who landed 84 tackles and 2 interceptions in 2023—will also be a key cog in the Bengals’ defensive schemes.
Bengals Safety Depth Chart
| Position | Starter | Backup |
|---|---|---|
| Strong safety | Jordan Battle | Vonn Bell |
| Free safety | Geno Stone | Dax Hill |
Geno Stone, who signed a two-year deal in March, arrives to bolster one of Cincy’s least-effective units. He’ll compete with Dax Hill—who excelled when given the chance to start games in 2023—for reps at the position. Former starter Vonn Bell also returned to the Bengals, signing a one-year contract in March after a forgettable season in Carolina. Bell is expected to back up starting strong safety Jordan Battle, who spent the first 10 games of 2023 as part of a rotation before locking down the starting role from week 11 onward.
Bengals Special Teams
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| Kicker | Evan McPherson |
| Punter | Brad Robbins |
| Long Snapper | Cal Adomitis |
| Kick returner | Trayveon Williams |
| Punt returner | Charlie Jones |
This unit is unchanged from 2023. Evan McPherson and Brad Robbins will handle kicking and punting duties, while Trayveon Williams and Charlie Jones will handle kick-off and punt returns, respectively. Long snapper Cal Adomitis remains, too.
Bengals Coaches
- Head coach: Zac Taylor
- Offensive coordinator: Dan Pitcher
- Quarterbacks coach: Brad Kragthorpe
- Running backs coach: Justin Hill
- Wide receivers coach: Troy Walters
- Offensive line coach/run game coordinator: Frank Pollack
- Tight ends coach: James Casey
- Defensive coordinator: Lou Anarumo
- Linebackers coach: James Bettcher
- Defensive line coach: Marion Hobby
- Cornerbacks coach: Charles Burks
- Safeties coach: Jordan Kovacs
- Assistant head coach/special teams coordinator: Darrin Simmons
Head coach Zac Taylor made one notable change to his coaching team this offseason, replacing former offensive coordinator Brian Callahan with former QB coach Dan Pitcher. Jordan Kovacs also replaced Robert Livingston in the assistant head coach/special teams coordinator job.
Taylor has been head coach since 2019, when he replaced longtime coach Marvin Lewis.
Cincinnati Bengals GM
Technically speaking, Cincinnati does not have a general manager. They do have a director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, who has been in his position since 1999.
Bengals Depth Chart FAQ
Joe Burrow is the Bengals starting quarterback, taking the reigns of the offense back after recovering from an injury in 2023. Justin Browning is Burrow's primary backup.
Jake Browning is currently the Bengals' backup quarterback.
Zac Taylor is the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. He is in his fifth season in the league.
The Bengals' best players in 2024 are mainly on offense. Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow are considered the best two players, but linebacker Logan Wilson and wide receiver Tee Higgins deserve to be named.
Ken Anderson (1981) and Boomer Esiason (1988) are the only players in Bengals history to win an MVP. Left tackle and Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz are among the franchise's most valuable players. One must also note Chad Johnson, who was a two-time All-Pro receiver.
Author
Jeremy Botter is a commercial editor for BetOhio.com. He is a former senior writer for CNN, managing editor at FloSports and associate editor for Heavy.com in addition to spending more than 10 years as a combat sports beat writer for the Houston Chronicle.
