“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity really,” McPherson said. “… I thought it was pretty special.”
There’s no guarantee the Bengals get back to another Super Bowl, but McPherson said it feels like this is just the start for what this team can accomplish, and he hopes to be back next year when the title game is played in Arizona.
Cincinnati missed a grand opportunity to bring home its first NFL championship, falling 23-20 to the L.A. Rams on Sunday in Super Bowl LVI after giving up a touchdown in the final two minutes and ending its final drive near midfield.
But even the 22-year-old kicker said he finds comfort knowing the makeup of the team is one that could make another run next year. Early odds by BetOnline.ag have the Bengals at 11-to-1 odds to win Super Bowl LVII, with the Chiefs the heavy favorites, followed by the Bills, Rams and then the Bengals.
“Obviously this moment sucks, but I think it makes this moment a little better just to know this team is so young,” McPherson said. “We’ve got so much talent that is going to be around next year, and so, I feel like we are really not going to skip a beat and coming in next year ready to come back.”
Cincinnati will have decisions to make with pending free agents like safety Jessie Bates, who is expected to get franchise tagged, tight end C.J. Uzomah and injured defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.
However, the core of the team is set to return in 2022, including the big weapons on offense. Quarterback Joe Burrow, running back Joe Mixon, receivers Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase all are under contract, as are several starters on defense who signed long-term deals within the last year or two.
“This is just a steppingstone for us,” said cornerback Mike Hilton, who signed a four-year deal last offseason. “Nobody expected us to be in this position and we knew with the guys and coaches that we have in the locker room that we can compete for years to come. It hurts (to lose), but it’s going to stick in our minds and it’s going to bring us back stronger for next year.”
Uzomah said he doesn’t know what will happen in free agency, but he would “love to see this crew back” -- with some upgrades, of course.
If it wasn’t clear before Sunday’s loss, the organization saw the most important need this offseason will be protecting Burrow. He injured the right knee that had been banged up twice already this season while being sacked by Von Miller – the Rams’ seventh sack of the game that tied a Super Bowl record.
Burrow was sacked 70 times in 20 games -- he didn’t play in the regular-season finale vs. the Browns. He’s been sacked 102 times in two seasons. He finished 2020 with a torn ACL and MCL and ends this season with a battered right knee.
Last offseason, after the Kansas City Chiefs lost the Super Bowl, they traded for Orlando Brown, signed Joe Thuney and drafted two linemen to protect Patrick Mahomes. They made it to the AFC Championship before the Bengals rallied from a double-digit hole to beat them, but the Chiefs still have the best betting odds to win it all next year.
The Bengals will have multiple starting spots up for grabs on the offensive line, and most other areas of the team seem fairly set.
“I feel really great about the future, but ... we can’t just assume because we had a great 2021 it’s going to be easy next year,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “Every year is its own entity. Right now we just have to do a great job of appreciating what we had together for this 2021 season and get back and ready to fight for next season.”
McPherson said he thinks the players will all return for Organized Team Activities (OTAs) this year with the same mentality they brought last offseason when everyone showed up wanting to get to work to turn things around after winning just four games in 2020.
Hilton guarantees the Bengals’ future will be even better.
“We will be back,” Hilton said. “That’s point-blank period. We’re young. We’re gaining confidence and we’re only going to get better. We expect to be back. … Just keep doing our jobs, keep taking it one step at a time. Go through the process of trying to upgrade this team and bringing in guys that can help us win games.”
About the Author