4 things Jaguars can learn from Bengals’ historic rebuild

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are about to play in the Super Bowl. Burrow is the youngest ever first-overall pick to lead his team to Championship Sunday and is the main reason why Cincy has had such a drastic ascent the past few years, going from the worst team in football to representing the AFC in this year’s championship.

This model, while incredibly difficult to pull off for most teams, may be replicable for Jacksonville, who find themselves in a similar position to the one the Bengals were in prior to this season. The young franchise quarterback is in place, he has all the intangibles and talent a coach could ever want, and the slate around him is nearly blank.

There are four key elements to the Bengals’ rebuild that the Jaguars can realistically emulate and there’s a good chance they can experience a similar rise in the near future.

1. The Jaguars must invest in the right weapons.

The Bengals’ acquisition of Ja’Marr chase completely changed the team’s identity, becoming an explosive offense seemingly overnight. All four conference championship teams this year had a top-notch wide receiver on their roster, and Jacksonville needs to follow suit.

Game-breaking pass-catchers make life much easier for young quarterbacks, as we’ve seen with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs, and Patrick Mahomes with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Options in this year’s free-agent class include Cedrick Wilson, Allen Robinson, and Odell Beckham Jr. The Jaguars could also address this need in the draft, with a loaded receiver class headlined by Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Drake London.