The Bengals 2026 schedule is here: Way-too-early record prediction, picks

The Cincinnati Bengals endured another up-and-down season in 2025.

They lost Joe Burrow to a turf toe injury in Week 2 and faced an uphill climb for the rest of the season. Cincinnati made an effort to come back with a strong push for the playoffs in the second half of the season when Burrow returned in December, but the hole it dug was too deep.

Despite their efforts, the Bengals finished with a 6-11 record and missed the playoffs once again. It was the second time in three years Burrow missed significant time with an injury. However, a positive sign for the former No. 1 pick was that he was second in the NFL with 15 touchdowns over the final six games of the season after his return. Perhaps a sign of things to come in 2026.

A significant issue for the Bengals was their defense, which allowed an average of 28.9 points per game, ranking 31st in the league. The team tried to address this earlier in the offseason by trading the No. 10 overall pick in April's draft to the New York Giants for All-Pro defensive tackleDexter Lawrence. In addition, the team signed defensive end Boye Mafe, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and veteran safeties Bryan Cook and Kyle Duggar.

Their Super Bowl window is open as the team aims to bounce back under perennial MVP candidate Burrow with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at his disposal.

But just how good will the Bengals be in 2026? Below is a record prediction for the team, along with game-by-game projections of how the team will fare.

Cincinnati Bengals record prediction 2026

Record prediction: 10-7

The Bengals are sneaking up on some people in 2026 and should re-establish themselves as a formidable AFC contender if Joe Burrow can stay healthy.

Cincinnati's defense allowed 28.9 points per game in 2025, ranking 31st in the league. The team retained defensive coordinator Al Golden but made significant changes to the personnel on that side of the ball this offseason. The team signed defensive end Boye Mafe, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and safeties Bryan Cook and Kyle Duggar. The Bengals' biggest addition came when they traded the No. 10 overall pick in April's draft to the New York Giants for All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

The Bengals run out one of the league's most elite duos at wide receiver every week with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Additionally, they re-signed tight end Mike Gesicki, giving Burrow plenty of receiving options. Running back Chase Brown is also quietly becoming a dangerous weapon out of the backfield.

The Bengals have an easy path in 2026 with the third-easiest strength-of-schedule league-wide, according to Sharp Football Analysis. Due to the Bengals' third-place finish in the division last season, they get a home matchup with the Chiefs, along with road matchups against the Dolphins and Commanders. Just five of their 17 games will be against 2025 playoff teams, two of which will be against the Steelers. Burrow will put up MVP numbers, and Cincinnati will take advantage of four matchups against a feeble NFC South and six games in the AFC North that appears to be undergoing a power shift.

Bengals game-by-game picks

• Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WIN
• Week 2: at Houston Texans: LOSS
• Week 3: at Pittsburgh Steelers: WIN
• Week 4: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: LOSS
• Week 5: at Miami Dolphins: WIN
• Week 6: BYE
• Week 7: at Baltimore Ravens: LOSS
• Week 8: vs. Tennessee Titans: WIN
• Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons (Madrid): WIN
• Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers ("Sunday Night Football"): LOSS
• Week 11: at Washington Commanders ("Monday Night Football"): WIN
• Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints: WIN
• Week 13: at Cleveland Browns: LOSS
• Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs: LOSS
• Week 15: at Carolina Panthers: WIN
• Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts: WIN
• Week 17: vs. Baltimore Ravens (New Year's Eve and "Thursday Night Football"): LOSS
• Week 18: vs. Cleveland Browns: WIN

Toughest game: Week 10 vs. Pittsburgh. Cincinnati doesn't appear to have many tough opponents on paper in 2026, but their Week 10 showdown with the Steelers on "Sunday Night Football" is difficult from a scheduling perspective. This game will be on the heels of a trip across the pond to Madrid, Spain. That will put the Bengals at a disadvantage in what is already projected to be a tight, divisional matchup, especially as Aaron Rodgers will be vying to make his mark in his final primetime games during his last NFL season.

Easiest game: Week 5 at Miami. There aren't many easy-looking games on Cincinnati's schedule, but they should be well-equipped to handle the Dolphins. The Bengals have their bye the following week, so they should be looking to hit the week off with a ton of momentum. The Dolphins are considered arguably the league's worst team on paper. This could be a stat-padding game for the Bengals' stars. In Week 16 in 2025 against Miami, Burrow put on a clinic and tossed for 309 yards, four touchdowns and completed 25 of 32 attempts.

Must-watch matchup: Week 14 vs. Kansas City. A case can be made that the Bengals vs. Ravens game on New Year's Eve is the best matchup but it's hard to pass on Mahomes vs. Burrow. The two-time MVP should be well recovered from his knee injury by December and both teams are expected to be in the AFC playoff race. Mahomes has won the last two meetings but Burrow holds a 3-2 head-to-head advantage after winning the first three matchups.

Bengals schedule 2026

• Week 1 (Sept. 13): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET., Fox
• Week 2 (Sept. 20): at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
• Week 3 (Sept. 27): at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
• Week 4 (Oct. 4): vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
• Week 5 (Oct. 11): at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET., Fox
• Week 6: BYE
• Week 7 (Oct. 25): at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
• Week 8 (Nov. 1): vs. Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
• Week 9 (Nov. 8): at Atlanta Falcons, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network (Madrid)
• Week 10 (Nov. 15): vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC ("Sunday Night Football")
• Week 11 (Nov. 23): at Washington Commanders, 8:15 p.m., ESPN ("Monday Night Football")
• Week 12 (Nov. 29): vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
• Week 13 (Dec. 6): at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET., CBS
• Week 14 (Dec. 13): vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET., Fox
• Week 15 (Dec. 20): at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET.,Fox
• Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts, TBD
• Week 17 (Dec. 31): vs. Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime (New Year's Eve and "Thursday Night Football")
• Week 18: vs. Cleveland Browns, TBD

Bengals home opponents 2026

• Baltimore Ravens
• Cleveland Browns
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Kansas City Chiefs
• New Orleans Saints
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tennessee Titans

Bengals away opponents 2026

• Baltimore Ravens
• Cleveland Browns
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Atlanta Falcons
• Carolina Panthers
• Houston Texans
• Indianapolis Colts
• Miami Dolphins
• Washington Commanders

Super Bowl 61 odds