The Bengals can’t catch a break. Things were starting to look up with a new young talent on the roster. But now they’ve hit a major snag. When they were beginning to rebuild around a key player’s abilities. They’ll have to put that plan on pause for a while.

Rookie tight end Erick All Jr. was starting to shine. But he is now expected to miss the entire 2025 year. All tore his ACL on November 3 against the Raiders, but the injury’s complications—stemming from a previous knee issue—are even worse than expected. Sources are saying the fix requires two surgeries, pushing his recovery timeline back to 2026. The Bengals had already been restructuring their offense to make the most of All’s unique blocking and receiving skills, but now they’ll have to figure out another way forward.

Erick All Jr.’s journey has been a wild ride of promise and bad luck. The Bengals saw the potential, despite the injury red flags, and snagged him in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. He was lowkey balling, playing nine games, starting six, and pulling in 20 passes for 158 yards. But what really set him apart was his blocking in the run game—the dude was out there opening lanes and changing the whole offense vibe. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher was vibing with him, saying, “He has, in a very short time, shown us what kind of difference he can make to our offense.” Sadly, his past injuries—like that back surgery in 2022 and a prior ACL tear—came back to bite him.

Losing Erick All Jr. is a tough pill to swallow. Especially because of how much he was starting to change the game for the Bengals. With All on the field, the team averaged 4.3 yards per carry and a 36% rushing success rate. Without him, those numbers dropped to 3.9 yards and 32%. His ability to block and clear running lanes was huge, and coach Zac Taylor even turned to more two-tight-end sets to get him involved. After the injury, Taylor said, “He did all the things he could do to help us win. Just a guy you love being around and appreciate.” Those are some kind words. They’ll definitely miss him.

So now, the Bengals are scrambling for answers. They still have Drew Sample and are looking at free-agent options like Mike Gesicki, but no one will quite fill Erick All Jr.’s role. Quarterback Joe Burrow, who was impressed by All’s work ethic early in the season, remains hopeful for his eventual return. “He just gets better… That’s what you want out of a young player,” Burrow said.

But it’s not just Erick All Jr.’s absence that’s causing headaches for the Bengals right now. The team also has to deal with the uncertainty surrounding wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins is up for a contract extension, and while he’s said he “would love” to stay in Cincinnati. His projected $28 million per year price tag is a tough pill to swallow. His 2024-2025 season price tag is nearly $22 million.

With Burrow’s $35M and Ja’Marr Chase‘s $21M (Present year) already locked in on big contracts, the Bengals’ salary cap might not have room for Higgins at that price. The team has made it clear they want to keep him, but the numbers might force a difficult decision. Between All’s injury and Higgins’ uncertain future, the Bengals’ offseason just got a lot more complicated.

Arrival of the weapon!

The Bengals are looking to give Joe Burrow some solid help after missing the playoffs, and with free agents like Tee Higgins and Mike Gesicki in the mix, the offseason’s gonna be a big one. Burrow’s got the skills to dominate, but the offense needs that extra spark to take things up a notch in the tough AFC North. If they want to make Burrow even more of a powerhouse, they’ve gotta reload.

One name that keeps popping up in rumors is wide receiver Luther Burden III. In a mock draft by Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman of The Athletic, they predicted the Bengals could target Burden with the 17th overall pick. The Bengals are clearly eyeing ways to boost their receiving corps and help Burrow get more weapons to work with. “You’d love to be able to give Joe Burrow more help elsewhere,” Baumgardner said, and Burden could be the answer to that.

Burden’s got some serious talent, and while he might not be a top-10 pick, he’s definitely got a mad upside. His size might not be perfect, and his 2024 season wasn’t as lit as 2023. But the dude still balled out with the Missouri Tigers. In three seasons, he caught 192 passes for 2,263 yards (14.1 yards per catch) and 21 TDs, plus 34 rushes for 234 yards and four TDs. That versatility could be a huge flex for Burrow.

Burden could be the type of player who makes the offense even more dangerous. With Burrow already having Ja’Marr Chase, adding Burden could give defenses major headaches. If the Bengals go for him in the draft. He could be just what they need to level up their offense—and Burrow—for 2025.