Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told the local media on Monday that quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist) has been fully cleared for contact at training camp. Burrow made only 10 starts in his fourth NFL season in 2023 due to a right-wrist injury that required season-ending surgery. The 27-year-old is now a full-go for camp and the preseason and should be 100 percent for the start of the 2024 regular season this fall. As long as the first overall pick out of LSU in 2020 can stay on the field, he should be able to bounce back, although his injury history early in his career makes him a risk/reward midrange QB1 target in upcoming fantasy drafts. Burrow averaged a weak 6.50 yards per attempt in 2023, but he should have enough volume to give him a high fantasy ceiling in 2024. RotoBaller has Burrow ranked as the No. 7 fantasy QB.

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Erick All Jr. (knee) was placed on the active/NFI list. The rookie, selected with the No. 115 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, sustained a torn ACL while still with the University of Iowa. He has made some progress in his recovery. However, as expected, the Bengals won't take any chances. At any rate, All has an uphill climb to surpass Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample on the depth chart. But the Bengals haven't had consistency at the position for years, so All may get a chance to prove his worth during the 2024-25 campaign, assuming he gets cleared.

The Cincinnati Bengals and star wide receiver Tee Higgins won't come to terms on a long-term contract extension by Monday's deadline. Higgins has signed his franchise tag and will play on the one-year pact in 2024 before becoming one of the top free agents next offseason. This outcome had appeared evident for some time, but now it's official. The 25-year-old will be highly motivated to produce a bounce-back season in 2024 after playing in just 12 games last year due to injuries while finishing with a career-low 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns. It's possible the Bengals could franchise tag Higgins again next year or work out a tag-and-trade deal. Higgins should bounce back if he and quarterback Joe Burrow stay healthy, but his fantasy ceiling is probably capped as a WR2 with Ja'Marr Chase being the team's WR1.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist) expressed that he is "going to give people something to talk about" after having an injury-plagued 2023 season, according to Nick Shook of NFL.com. Burrow left the Week 11 game early last season due to a torn ligament in his wrist. This injury caused him to miss the remainder of the season. This was the second time where Burrow's season ended with him on Injured Reserve. The former national champion further expressed, "That's what happens when you get hurt, though. You don't play football. People forget about you." Whenever he has been on the field, the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft has performed at an elite level, but injuries have followed him throughout his career. The 27-year-old could be a steal at his current ADP of 62.4 if he can stay healthy due to his elite pass-catchers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton joins one of the best wide receiver groups in the NFL, and although it'll be tough to command targets, the 2024 third-round pick could see a healthy snap share in the slot. The Alabama product is reportedly working with former NFL wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh in slot drills during his time off before training camp. Chris Roling of The Bengals Wire believes Burton is a candidate to start in three-wide sets alongside Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase right away. "The Bengals could really use Burton in the slot after Tyler Boyd left via free agency. Mike Gesicki will eat some of the snaps there and sophomores like Charlie Jones could, too," said Roling. "But given the universal steal praise the Bengals have received over the Burton pick, it's pretty clear he has the talent and ability to create mismatches from that spot, too." Burton posted 132 receptions for 2,376 yards and 22 touchdowns in two seasons and Georgia and two seasons at Alabama. He is an intriguing late-round option in fantasy football drafts, especially since he could see a value spike if Chase or Higgins have to miss any time during the 2024 campaign.