Last season went sideways fast. The Bengals finished 6-11, and they went 1-8 in the stretch Joe Burrow missed with a Grade 3 toe sprain that required surgery. So it’s fitting that this year’s comeback race starts with the quarterback, but he’s not the only one with a story.
Joe Burrow, QB: From toe surgery to an NFL-best 71.4% completion rate, 1,361 yards, 11 touchdowns, and a 104.4 rating through five games. He posted a 123.9 rating in Pittsburgh, the best of his career against the Steelers. Anyone worried about whether he’d be the same player after that injury has their answer.
Erick All Jr., TE: All tore his ACL in November 2024, had a setback in his recovery, and missed the entire 2025 season. It was his second tear of that knee, after one in his final season at Iowa. Now he’s played in all five games. The box score is modest (five catches, 30 yards), but just being out there as the versatile tight end this offense was built around in 2024 is a win.
Demetrius Knight Jr., LB: This is more of a comeback story from how poorly Knight played last year. While Knight currently sits around the middle of the pack, in terms of linebacker PFF scores, it’s still a big improvement from last year. He also has a 71.9 PFF score against the run (top-20), while posting 19 total tackles and 4.5 stuffed run plays.
Mike Gesicki, TE: Gesicki was limited to 13 games last season due to injury, and even when he did play, he rarely made a major impact, catching just 28 passes for 307 yards and two scores. This year, he’s already up to four touchdown grabs in five games. That’s the most scores he’s had in a season since 2022. At this pace, he’ll easily surpass his previous single-season high of six scores in 2020.
Let’s talk: Should All be getting more targets than five catches through five games? What does this offense look like when he’s fully unleashed?