The Cincinnati Bengals were an exceptional story in 2023 as they were able to manage a winning record even after All Pro level quarterback Joe Burrow went down with a season ending injury. One of the struggles with having that level of roster is that retaining talent will be near impossible with the imposition of the NFL salary cap. In order to extend the Super Bowl window (particularly after Burrow signed a monster five-year contract extension for $55 million per year), the team is going to have to make difficult decisions.
Bengals May Have to Release Fan Favorite to Keep Superstars
Recently, Burrow and Head Coach Zac Taylor have each emphasized that they will do everything that they can to keep superstar receiver Tee Higgins in Cincinnati and with only around $60 million in total available cap space this offseason with an impending extension for their other elite receiver Ja’Marr Chase and multiple other star players in need of contracts, they may need to free up some money for the salary cap.
While it is an incredibly tough decision for Cincinnati, arguably the best way to save about half of what they need to bring back Higgins would be to release fan favorite defensive end Sam Hubbard. Hubbard is a fan favorite for multiple reasons including the fact that he is a Cincinnati native who played high school ball just a few miles west of Paycor Stadium. Hubbard is also renowned for his effort and has been a huge leader on the defense over the past few seasons.
All the positives aside, Hubbard’s contract makes the decision to cut Hubbard much easier. Hubbard is slated to earn approximately $10 million per season for each of the next two seasons but his contract only included $4 million dollars against the salary cap is he is released this offseason. Therefore, they would be saving $8 million dollars per season by releasing him which could be put toward keeping either Higgins or star defensive tackle D.J. Reader.
The other factor included is that Cincinnati selected defensive end Myles Murphy with the 31st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and have a high caliber defensive end on a team friendly contract up until at least through the 2026 season. Murphy only managed to be on the field for 305 snaps this season but when he was, he rated highly with the second highest pass-rush win rate amongst rookie players in 2023. After extending superstar defensive end Trey Hendrickson through the 2025 season, it is unlikely that he will be on the chopping block in Cincinnati after finishing this season second in the NFL in sacks with 17.5 sacks.
I am certainly not a huge advocate for this as Hubbard is one of the best emotional leaders in the locker room. Hubbard is the last name called at games as the defense comes out onto the field and is a huge crowd favorite after making big plays like the game saving fumble recovery for a touchdown during the 2023 wildcard game against the Baltimore Ravens. While it may be hard for fans to deal with, Hubbard would be a much easier player to lose than Higgins. Hard decisions are coming in Cincinnati as the cap becomes more real and real after Burrows contract and Hubbard would be an easy way to save some money.
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1 Comment
He didn’t play highschool ball west of the stadium he played at Moeller