Three hottest seats on the Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off a disappointing season that was inevitably going to end without a Super Bowl after watching QB Joe Burrow suffer a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11. With a healthy Burrow set to make his return in 2024, however, the team is going to need every player to do his job if it wants to be a contender once again.

With that in mind, here are three Bengals on the hottest seats in 2024.

Defensive end Sam Hubbard

Hubbard has created a dangerous edge rushing duo with Trey Hendrickson for the past three years, but there's no arguing Hendrickson has pulled most of the weight. In 2023, Hubbard had just six sacks compared to Hendrickson's 17.5.

In fact, Hubbard's highest sack mark was 8.5 and that was in his second season in the league in 2019. This isn't to say Hubbard is a bad player. He's been good and has taken pressure off Hendrickson, which has allowed him to be very productive.

However, Cincinnati can save $9.6 million in 2025 if it were to move on from Hubbard. Meanwhile, the Bengals' 2023 first-round pick, edge rusher Myles Murphy, is waiting for his chance to start. So, Hubbard must prove his worth by having arguably his best season yet if he wants to avoid being a salary cap casualty next offseason.

Center Ted Karras

Karras is heading into the final year of his three-year, $18 million deal he signed with the team in 2022. So, whether it's with Cincinnati or another team, he is playing for his next contract in 2024.

It's very likely that the 31-year-old would want to stay with the Bengals beyond 2024 as they will likely be Super Bowl contenders with Burrow for years to come. However, his six sacks allowed last season, per Pro Football Focus, won't help his negotiations. 

If Karras can put together a better 2024 season, the team would likely welcome him back on a similar deal. If not, his time as a Bengal could be nearing its end.

Tight end Mike Gesicki

Gesicki just joined Cincinnati on a one-year, $2.5 million deal this offseason, but he's on the hot seat of his career. The former No. 42 overall pick in 2018 has underwhelmed the past two seasons, posting just 61 catches for 606 yards and seven touchdowns with the Patriots (2023) and Dolphins (2022).

The 28-year-old's career seems to have taken an unexpected decline after having a career-high 73 receptions for 780 yards in 2021. He must get it back on track in 2024.

Gesicki has a great opportunity to do just that, playing with arguably the best quarterback he's had since entering the league. However, if can't be productive with Burrow, he is never going to be with anyone.