After the Cincinnati Bengals broke a 31-year curse and won a playoff game in the wild card round, we wrote a longform piece on why that was just the beginning of extended success for the franchise.
Little did we know they’d be in Super Bowl LVI against the Los Angeles Rams.
One of the big reasons we listed there?
Cap space.
The Bengals currently project to have $56.4 million in free cap space this offseason — the fourth-highest total in the NFL.
That’s a huge number and one that could only get bigger if they do the obvious cost-saving moves, highlighted by cutting Trae Waynes, which would free up another roughly $10 million.
Now, important context — of the teams in the top 10 of projected cap space, the Bengals have the fewest under contract at just 36. They’ll need to work hard to get back key role players (Larry Ogunjobi, Eli Apple, Quinton Spain, B.J. Hill, etc.) and could be looking at either a massive extension or franchise tag for Jessie Bates.
There’s also the matter of going to a Super Bowl (if not winning it) inflating the asking price of any of their free agents.
Still, the Bengals are clearly in a superb spot to gun after big free agents along the offensive line, if not elsewhere. And while they have the benefit of building around a rookie quarterback contract, it’s downright stunning how ahead of schedule they are and how positioned they are for long, long-term success.
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