The Cincinnati Bengals feel like a team with a rather large championship window right now as the offseason starts.
But where the Bengals rank in terms of active contention chances seems to be up for debate.
For example, NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks just dropped his list of top eight biggest Super Bowl windows right now — and the Bengals don’t make the cut.
Obvious teams like the Chiefs and Ravens are on the list. Closer to the bottom, though, are teams like the Browns, Jets and Packers.
It’s interesting to see the Bengals miss on the top eight (and maybe the top 10?), though nobody can argue they don’t have serious work to do this offseason.
Cincinnati needs to figure out the Tee Higgins situation, likely upgrade the offensive line, address serious depth issues on the defensive front, and hope a very young secondary takes the next step.
But the Bengals have one thing that matters most in playoffs — Joe Burrow. If he’s healthy, there’s an argument to be made that they should be in the top eight.