CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals open the 2022 NFL regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 11 at Paul Brown Stadium.
That's when the Bengals can start to prove their status as bonafide contenders for years to come. Cincinnati is coming off a narrow Super Bowl LVI loss to the Los Angeles Rams. But despite the team's first conference championship in 33 years, oddsmakers don't have Cincinnati among the favorites to win the AFC again.
The Bengals are bolstered by one of the most promising passing attacks in the NFL. Quarterback Joe Burrow enters his third season and is one of the league's most accurate quarterbacks. Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo fielded a solid unit that was the backbone of last year's postseason run.
QUARTERBACK (2): Joe Burrow, Brandon Allen
Cincinnati has carried two quarterbacks the past couple of seasons and this one should be pretty simple. Brandon Allen will be the back-up behind Joe Burrow. Jake Browning, who is still on the 90-man roster, was the practice squad quarterback in 2021.
RUNNING BACK (3): Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine, Chris Evans
The Bengals kept their running backs unit intact through the offseason. Perine and Evans will be the ones tasked to give Mixon a breather throughout the season. The only intrigue will be if Evans can get a higher snap share and become more involved in the offense.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, Trent Taylor, Mike Thomas, Stanley Morgan
The starting rotation of Chase, Boyd and Higgins is as solid as it gets in the NFL. But after that, things get a bit tricky. Cincinnati doesn't have a defined No. 4 receiving option. Taylor finished 2021 as the team's punt returner but wasn't able to secure a roster spot as a receiver. Keep an eye on rookie Kwamie Lassiter II throughout training camp. He might be able to secure one of the last roster spots.
TIGHT END (3): Hayden Hurst, Drew Sample, Mitchell Wilcox
Hurst replaces the outgoing C.J. Uzomah as the team's No. 1 tight end. Sample, a 2019 second-round pick, remains a solid backup who is a capable blocker.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10): Jonah Williams, Jackson Carman, Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, La'el Collins, Cordell Volson, Trey Hill, Hakeem Adeniji, Isaiah Prince, D'Ante Smith
After a dreadful blocking performance in the postseason, Cincinnati revamped its offensive line with three new starters acquired via free agency -- Karras, Collins and Cappa, the team's most expensive signing in the trenches. How much depth the Bengals want at the guard and tackle positions will have a big impact on how the rest of the 53-man roster shakes out.
DEFENSIVE LINE (10): Trey Hendrickson, DJ Reader, B.J. Hill, Sam Hubbard, Cam Sample, Josh Tupou, Jeff Gunter, Joseph Ossai, Zach Carter, Khalid Kareem
The Bengals have a good mix of veterans and exciting young players on the defensive line. Ossai returns at defensive end after missing all of 2021 because of a knee injury he suffered in the preseason. Cincinnati drafted Carter (third round) and Gunter (seventh round) as depth options, which could put a squeeze on 2021 draft pick Tyler Shelvin, a fourth-round selection who struggled to find playing time.
LINEBACKER (5): Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Markus Bailey, Joe Bachie
This has quietly become one of the sturdiest units on the roster. Wilson turned in an MVP-caliber performance in Super Bowl LVI and Pratt continues to show he can be a quality off-ball linebacker.
CORNERBACK (6): Chidobe Awuzie, Cam Taylor-Britt, Mike Hilton, Eli Apple, Trey Flowers, Jalen Davis
Taylor-Britt, Cincinnati's second-round draft pick this year, gives the Bengals young depth at outside cornerback. Flowers showed how he could be used in exotic dime packages aimed at stopping opposing tight ends.
SAFETY (5): Vonn Bell, Jessie Bates III, Brandon Wilson, Dax Hill, Tycen Anderson
When Bates is on the field and playing to his capability, he's one of the best safeties in the NFL. If and when Bates takes the field (he has yet to sign his tender), that will push first-round pick Hill into a dime package role as the third safety. Anderson, another rookie, gives Cincinnati significant speed in the back of the defense.
SPECIALIST (3): Kevin Huber (punter), Evan McPherson (kicker), Clark Harris (long-snapper)
This could be something to watch in camp as Huber and Harris' prospective replacements are on the roster. But the veterans will open camp as the incumbent starters.