The Bengals entered last season with playoff aspirations, but they were never truly in contention. The team sputtered to a 6-11 record for a few obvious reasons: 1.) Superstar quarterback Joe Burrow missed eight games after suffering a toe injury in September. 2.) The defense was an unmitigated disaster.
While the 2026 campaign remains to be 4 months from kicking off, Cincinnati looks like a first-rate rebound candidate. Burrow, who returned in November to fireplace 15 touchdowns against five interceptions in six starts, is healthy. He’ll again lead an eminently talented offense that boasts an elite receiver duo (Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins) and a legitimate dual-threat running back in Chase Brown.
Even with the mixture of Jake Browning and Joe Flacco filling in for Burrow for a big chunk of 2025, the Bengals’ offense still had enough horses to complete twelfth within the NFL in scoring (24.4). The Bengals put up 30-plus points eight times, and the club went 5-3 in those games. When the Bengals scored fewer than 30, they went 1-8.
It’s fair to say that if the Bengals are going to snap their three-year playoff drought in 2026, their defense can have to go from abysmal to competent. Since ending thirtieth in points, thirty first in yards and dead last in pass rush win rate last season, the unit has undergone a big makeover.
The Bengals’ defense took a few notable hits in free agency when edge rushers Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai (Jets) walked out the door. Hendrickson’s exit could also be especially unlucky if you consider he joined the AFC North rival Ravens, though the Bengals already began adjusting to life without him in 2025. A hip/groin injury limited Hendrickson to seven games, 4 sacks and kept him out from late October onward.
Other than Ossai and Myles Murphy, no person did much to fill Hendrickson’s void last season. The Bengals are likely confident that may change in 2026, as they brought in ex-Seahawk Boye Mafe on a three-year, $60MM deal and used a second-round pick on former Texas A&M pass rusher Cashius Howell. They’ve now Murphy, Mafe, Howell and 2025 first-rounder Shemar Stewart, who didn’t do much as a rookie, as their top options along the sting.
The Bengals’ collection of pass rushers should get a lift from a vastly improved interior defensive position. In a daring strike atypical of the Bengals, they landed perhaps the premier nose tackle in football once they traded the tenth overall pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence. The three-time Pro Bowler only managed a half-sack during a 17-game 2025, but just sack totals doesn’t do Lawrence justice.
As a magnet for double teams, Lawrence makes life far easier on his defensive teammates. Despite drawing extra attention from opposing offensive lines, Lawrence has not had trouble affecting QBs. Dating to 2022, he has piled up 108 pressures as a nose tackle, an incredible 76 greater than second place (32), per Warren Sharp of SharpFootballAnalysis.com.
The Bengals expect the very best version of Lawrence to point out up, which they consider would make an even bigger difference than any rookie they may have drafted tenth overall. He’s now the face of a robust DT group that also includes B.J. Hill and free agent signing Jonathan Allen. A former Commander and Viking, Allen has began in 125 of 126 games and accrued 45.5 sacks over his nine-year profession.
Together with what looks like a high quality group of players up front, the Bengals have a gradual collection of starters within the defensive backfield. Dax Hill and DJ Turner ought to be their top outside corners, while former Chiefs safety Bryan Cook got here in on a three-year, $40.5MM pact in free agency to pair with Jordan Battle. Cook figures to supply a transparent upgrade over the departed Geno Stone, who began 17 games in 2025 but missed a career-worst 20% of tackles (Cook checked in at 4.5%).
As for potential weaknesses, linebacker stands proud. Barring an outdoor acquisition (Bobby Wagner, anyone?), the Bengals are poised to depend on Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight for the second season in a row. Counting on them as rookies last 12 months didn’t go well, however the club has done nothing to upgrade over them this offseason. The Bengals also look shaky at nickel corner. Jalen Davis is the frontrunner for the job, but despite being an eight-year veteran, he lacks defensive experience. Davis never approached 100 defensive snaps in a season until he amassed 270 over seven games in 2025.
Turning back to the offensive side, keeping the oft-injured Burrow healthy might be a very powerful order of business. That may largely be within the hands of a starting line that has not modified because the end of last season. The Bengals are running it back with tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims, guards Dylan Fairchild and Dalton Risner, and center Ted Karras. Pro Football Focus rated the unit the league’s fifth-worst in 2025.
The Bengals are in a division with two other playoff hopefuls (Baltimore and Pittsburgh), but they should push for a postseason berth if Burrow stays healthy and the defensive acquisitions pan out as hoped. Vegas agrees, having set the over/under on the Bengals’ win total at 9.5. That ties them with last season’s AFC title game representatives, the Patriots and Broncos, in addition to other conference contenders in Jacksonville and Houston. If the Bengals fall in need of expectations again, long-tenured head coach Zac Taylor may not get a ninth 12 months in 2027.
How do you expect the Bengals’ season to go? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in together with your thoughts within the comments section.
What number of games will the Bengals win in 2026?