Division
AFC North
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
9.0p10 6.0 — p90 11.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win division | 24.6% | |
| Make playoffs | 49.2% | |
| Divisional rd. | 23.4% | |
| Conf. champ. | 9.7% | |
| Super Bowl | 3.8% | |
| Win SB | 1.6% |
2026 Schedule
proj record 8.9–8.1
Schedule
28th
toughest of 32
Offenses faced
32nd
toughest of 32
Defenses faced
11th
toughest of 32
| Wk | Opp | Opp | Score | Proj | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsTB | +0.6 | 31–30 | +1.0 | 53% |
| 2 | @HOU | +4.2 | 22–29 | -6.7 | 31% |
| 3 | @PIT | -0.1 | 25–27 | -1.2 | 46% |
| 4 | vsJAX | +3.7 | 26–29 | -3.4 | 40% |
| 5 | @MIA | -1.4 | 31–28 | +2.2 | 56% |
| 7 | @BAL | +2.6 | 25–31 | -5.2 | 35% |
| 8 | vsTEN | -6.2 | 30–22 | +8.0 | 72% |
| 9 | @ATL | -2.0 | 26–27 | -0.7 | 48% |
| 10 | vsPIT | -0.1 | 26–26 | +0.8 | 52% |
| 11 | @WAS | -1.6 | 32–30 | +2.0 | 56% |
| 12 | vsNO | -5.4 | 29–25 | +4.3 | 62% |
| 13 | @CLE | -6.0 | 24–20 | +4.4 | 63% |
| 14 | vsKC | +2.2 | 29–30 | -0.8 | 48% |
| 15 | @CAR | -3.1 | 29–25 | +4.6 | 63% |
| 16 | @IND | +3.4 | 27–30 | -3.7 | 39% |
| 17 | vsBAL | +2.6 | 27–30 | -3.6 | 39% |
| 18 | vsCLE | -6.0 | 26–19 | +7.0 | 70% |
Quarterbacks · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Joe Burrow | 6'4" | 215 | 29 | LSU |
| QB | 2nd | Joe Flacco | 6'6" | 245 | 41 | Delaware |
| QB | 3rd | Josh Johnson | 6'3" | 214 | 40 | San Diego |
| QB | 4th | Sean Clifford | 6'2" | 218 | 27 | Penn State |
Running Backs · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Chase Brown | 5'10" | 210 | 26 | Illinois |
| RB | 2nd | Samaje Perine | 5'11" | 240 | 30 | Oklahoma |
| RB | 3rd | Tahj Brooks | 5'9" | 220 | 24 | Texas Tech |
| RB | 4th | Gary Brightwell | 6'1" | 218 | 28 | Arizona |
| RB | 5th | Kendall Milton | 6'1" | 230 | 24 | Georgia |
| RB | 7th | Jamal Haynes | 5'9" | 190 | 23 | Georgia Tech |
| RB | — | Kentrel Bullock | 5'10" | 205 | 24 | South Alabama; Mississippi |
Wide Receivers · 12
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Ja'Marr Chase | 6'0" | 205 | 26 | LSU |
| WR | 2nd | Tee Higgins | 6'4" | 220 | 27 | Clemson |
| WR | 3rd | Andrei Iosivas | 6'3" | 210 | 26 | Princeton |
| WR | 4th | Colbie Young | 6'4" | 218 | 23 | Georgia |
| WR | 5th | Mitchell Tinsley | 6'1" | 205 | 26 | Penn State |
| WR | 6th | Charlie Jones | 6'0" | 190 | 27 | Purdue |
| WR | 7th | Ke'Shawn Williams | 5'9" | 189 | 24 | Indiana; Wake Forest |
| WR | 8th | Jordan Moore | 6'0" | 191 | 24 | Duke |
| WR | 9th | Kendric Pryor | 5'11" | 189 | 28 | Wisconsin |
| WR | 10th | Xavier Johnson | 6'1" | 204 | 27 | Ohio State |
| WR | 12th | Noah Thomas | 6'5" | 205 | 22 | Georgia |
| WR | — | Dohnte Meyers | 5'11" | 186 | 25 | Delta State University; Presbyterian College |
Tight Ends · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Mike Gesicki | 6'6" | 245 | 30 | Penn State |
| TE | 2nd | Drew Sample | 6'5" | 260 | 30 | Washington |
| TE | 3rd | Erick All | 6'5" | 255 | 25 | Iowa |
| TE | 4th | Tanner Hudson | 6'5" | 241 | 31 | Southern Arkansas |
| TE | 5th | Jack Endries | 6'5" | 245 | 22 | Texas |
| TE | 6th | Cam Grandy | 6'5" | 253 | 26 | Illinois State |
| TE | — | Josh Kattus | 6'4" | 245 | — | Kentucky |
Offensive Line · 13
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Amarius Mims | 6'8" | 350 | 23 | Georgia |
| OL | — | Andrew Coker | 6'7" | 315 | 25 | TCU |
| OL | — | Christian Jones | 6'9" | 345 | 23 | San Diego State |
| OL | — | Cody Ford | 6'3" | 345 | 29 | Oklahoma |
| OL | — | Connor Lew | 6'4" | 310 | 20 | Auburn |
| OL | — | Dalton Risner | 6'5" | 312 | 30 | Kansas State |
| OL | — | Dylan Fairchild | 6'5" | 318 | 23 | Georgia |
| OL | — | Jacob Bayer | 6'3" | 310 | 23 | Arkansas State; Lamar |
| OL | — | Jalen Rivers | 6'5" | 319 | 23 | Miami |
| OL | — | Javon Foster | 6'5" | 319 | 26 | Missouri |
| OL | — | Liam Brown | 6'5" | 307 | 24 | Montana |
| OL | — | Orlando Brown | 6'8" | 350 | 30 | Oklahoma |
| OL | — | Ted Karras | 6'4" | 310 | 33 | Illinois |
Interior D-Line · 9
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDT | 1st | Dexter Lawrence | 6'4" | 340 | 28 | Clemson |
| RDT | 1st | Jonathan Allen | 6'3" | 300 | 31 | Alabama |
| LDT | 2nd | Tedarrell Slaton | 6'5" | 340 | 28 | Florida |
| RDT | 2nd | B.J. Hill | 6'3" | 311 | 31 | North Carolina State |
| LDT | 3rd | McKinnley Jackson | 6'2" | 330 | 24 | Texas A&M |
| RDT | 3rd | Kris Jenkins | 6'3" | 310 | 24 | Michigan |
| LDT | 4th | Jordan Jefferson | 6'2" | 316 | 24 | LSU |
| RDT | 4th | Landon Robinson | 6'0" | 295 | 23 | Navy |
| RDT | 5th | Howard Cross | 6'1" | 285 | 24 | Notre Dame |
Edge Rushers · 7
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDE | 1st | Boye Mafe | 6'4" | 261 | 27 | Minnesota |
| RDE | 1st | Myles Murphy | 6'5" | 275 | 24 | Clemson |
| LDE | 2nd | Shemar Stewart | 6'5" | 267 | 22 | Texas A&M |
| RDE | 2nd | Cashius Howell | 6'4" | 235 | 23 | Texas A&M |
| LDE | 3rd | Cedric Johnson | 6'3" | 264 | 23 | Ole Miss |
| RDE | 3rd | Isaiah Foskey | 6'5" | 270 | 25 | Notre Dame |
| RDE | 4th | Antwaun Powell-Ryland | 6'2" | 258 | 24 | Virginia Tech |
Linebackers · 9
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | 1st | Barrett Carter | 6'0" | 231 | 23 | Clemson |
| SLB | 1st | Oren Burks | 6'3" | 233 | 31 | Vanderbilt |
| WLB | 1st | Demetrius Knight | 6'2" | 240 | 25 | South Carolina |
| MLB | 2nd | Joe Giles-Harris | 6'2" | 234 | 29 | Duke |
| WLB | 2nd | Shaka Heyward | 6'3" | 238 | 26 | Duke |
| WLB | 3rd | Swayze Bozeman | 6'1" | 230 | 27 | Southern Miss |
| LB | — | Eric Gentry | 6'7" | 221 | 23 | USC; Arizona State |
| LB | — | Jack Dingle | 6'4" | 235 | 23 | Cincinnati |
| LB | — | Liam Anderson | 6'3" | 230 | 26 | Holy Cross |
Defensive Backs · 17
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FS | 1st | Bryan Cook | 6'1" | 206 | 26 | Cincinnati |
| LCB | 1st | Daxton Hill | 6'0" | 195 | 25 | Michigan |
| NB | 1st | Jalen Davis | 5'10" | 186 | 30 | Utah State |
| RCB | 1st | DJ Turner | 5'11" | 185 | 25 | Michigan |
| SS | 1st | Jordan Battle | 6'1" | 215 | 25 | Alabama |
| FS | 2nd | PJ Jules | 6'0" | 203 | 25 | Southern Illinois |
| LCB | 2nd | Tacario Davis | 6'4" | 200 | 21 | Washington |
| NB | 2nd | Ja'Sir Taylor | 5'10" | 185 | 27 | Wake Forest |
| RCB | 2nd | Josh Newton | 5'11" | 190 | 25 | TCU |
| SS | 2nd | Kyle Dugger | 6'1" | 216 | 30 | Lenoir-Rhyne University |
| FS | 3rd | Russ Yeast | 5'10" | 195 | 27 | Kansas State |
| LCB | 3rd | DJ Ivey | 6'1" | 192 | 26 | Miami (FL) |
| NB | 3rd | Bralyn Lux | 5'10" | 180 | 25 | Texas Tech |
| SS | 3rd | Daijahn Anthony | 6'0" | 200 | 25 | Ole Miss |
| DB | — | Ceyair Wright | 6'0" | 185 | 23 | Nebraska; USC |
| DB | — | Isaiah Nwokobia | 6'0" | 206 | 23 | SMU |
| DB | — | Jalen Kimber | 6'0" | 190 | 25 | Penn State; Florida |
Special Teams · 11
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | 1st | Ryan Rehkow | 6'4" | 235 | 27 | BYU |
| KR | 1st | Charlie Jones | 6'0" | 190 | 27 | Purdue |
| P | 1st | Ryan Rehkow | 6'4" | 235 | 27 | BYU |
| PK | 1st | Evan McPherson | 5'11" | 185 | 26 | Florida |
| PR | 1st | Charlie Jones | 6'0" | 190 | 27 | Purdue |
| KR | 2nd | Samaje Perine | 5'11" | 240 | 30 | Oklahoma |
| PR | 2nd | Ke'Shawn Williams | 5'9" | 189 | 24 | Indiana; Wake Forest |
| KR | 3rd | Ke'Shawn Williams | 5'9" | 189 | 24 | Indiana; Wake Forest |
| PR | 3rd | Mitchell Tinsley | 6'1" | 205 | 26 | Penn State |
| KR | 4th | Tahj Brooks | 5'9" | 220 | 24 | Texas Tech |
| LS | — | William Wagner | 6'2" | 240 | 25 | Michigan |
Team Profile
2025 · pct vs league
| Pass Off | -0.03 | #23 | 29% |
| Rush Off | 0.02 | #8 | 77% |
| Pass Def | 0.16 | #28 | 13% |
| Rush Def | 0.09 | #30 | 6% |
| Scoring Off | 414 | #12 | 65% |
| Scoring Def | 492 | #30 | 6% |
Advanced Profile
2025 · rank of 32
Pass Protection
Pressure % allowed21.8%17th
Sack % allowed5.3%10th
Pocket time2.30s25th
Run Blocking
Yds before contact / rush2.3yd25th
Pass Rush
Pressures12624th
Sacks3426th
Coverage
Completion % allowed66.2%16th
Passer rtg allowed9721st
Special Teams
FG %89.3%7th
Punt net avg42.9yd9th
Identity
Avg depth of target7.3yd—
aggregated from roster PFR / special-teams stats · green = top of league
EPA Trend
EPA/play by season · adj
NetOffDefDef: lower = better
Performance · 2025
6-11 · -78 pt diff
| Metric | Off | Def | Rk |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPA / play (adj) | +0.036 | +0.112 | 25 |
| EPA / play (raw) | +0.032 | +0.100 | 14/29 |
| Pass EPA | -0.027 | +0.165 | 23/28 |
| Rush EPA | +0.025 | +0.087 | 8/30 |
| Points | 414 | 492 | — |
Lower def EPA = better. Ranks: 1 best, 32 worst.
Scoring Trend
2025 · pts/game
PPG For
24.4
12th in NFL
PPG Against
28.9
30th in NFL
Differential
-4.5
26th in NFL
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / LSeason Results
6-11 · 8-9 ATS
WinLossCoveredmargin per game
Season History · last 10
2 playoffs · SB 0-1
| Season | Regular | Playoffs | Super Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6-11 | — | — |
| 2024 | 9-8 | — | — |
| 2023 | 9-8 | — | — |
| 2022 | 12-4 | 2-1 | — |
| 2021 | 10-7 | 3-1 | Lost |
| 2020 | 4-11-1 | — | — |
| 2019 | 2-14 | — | — |
| 2018 | 6-10 | — | — |
| 2017 | 7-9 | — | — |
| 2016 | 6-9-1 | — | — |
Situational Splits
2025 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 3-6 | 27 | 29.4 |
| Away | 3-5 | 21.4 | 28.4 |
| Competition | |||
| One-score (≤8) | 3-5 | 29.1 | 30.6 |
| vs Winning teams | 2-8 | 22.7 | 34.4 |
| Environment | |||
| Indoors | 0-1 | 10 | 48 |
| Outdoors | 6-10 | 25.2 | 27.8 |
| Grass | 3-3 | 21.2 | 23.3 |
| Turf | 3-8 | 26.1 | 32 |
| Cold (<40°F) | 1-3 | 21 | 24.2 |
Recent Form · last 5
2-3 SU · 3-2 ATS · O2/U3
Betting Profile
2025
| Straight up | 6-11 |
| ATS | 8-947% |
| Over / Under | 9-8 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 5-6 |
| As underdog | 3-3 |
| Home | 4-5 |
| Away | 4-4 |
vs closing line · splits show cover-no cover
Cap & Roster Construction
APY $302M· gtd $405M
OFF $161M (53%)DEF $134M (44%)ST $6.5M
| Group | Players | APY | % Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 4 | $63.6M | 21% |
| RB | 5 | $6.1M | 2% |
| WR | 9 | $76.0M | 25% |
| TE | 5 | $15.6M | 5% |
| DL | 8 | $64.1M | 21% |
| EDGE | 6 | $31.0M | 10% |
| LB | 6 | $9.4M | 3% |
| DB | 13 | $29.7M | 10% |
| ST | 2 | $6.5M | 2% |
Top Contracts
| Player | Yrs | Total | Gtd | APY | Cap% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe BurrowQB | 5 | $275M | $147M | $55.0M | 24.5% |
| Ja'Marr ChaseWR | 4 | $161M | $73.9M | $40.3M | 14.4% |
| Tee HigginsWR | 4 | $115M | $30.0M | $28.8M | 10.3% |
| Dexter LawrenceDT | 1 | $28.0M | $10.0M | $28.0M | 9.3% |
| Boye MafeDE | 3 | $60.0M | $19.0M | $20.0M | 6.6% |
| Bryan CookS | 3 | $40.2M | $14.0M | $13.4M | 4.5% |
Pending Free Agents
| Player | Free | APY |
|---|---|---|
| Daxton HillCB | 2026 | $2.9M |
| Dexter LawrenceDT | 2027 | $28.0M |
| Tedarrell SlatonDT | 2027 | $7.0M |
| Joe FlaccoQB | 2027 | $6.0M |
| Evan McPhersonPK | 2027 | $5.5M |
| Drew SampleTE | 2027 | $3.5M |
| Myles MurphyDE | 2027 | $3.1M |
| Oren BurksLB | 2027 | $2.5M |
Roster Profile
avg age 26.4
R1 8Day2 16Day3 27UDFA 22
Homegrown 30 (41%)Acquired 43
Avg experience3.7 yrs
Rookies / Vets (8+ yr)7 / 10
| Group | Players | Avg Age |
|---|---|---|
| QB | 4 | 34.2 |
| RB | 6 | 25.8 |
| WR | 11 | 25.5 |
| TE | 6 | 27.3 |
| DL | 9 | 26.3 |
| EDGE | 7 | 24 |
| LB | 6 | 26.8 |
| DB | 14 | 25.9 |
| ST | 10 | 26.2 |
Injury Report · 2
last report week 0
| Pos | Player | Status |
|---|---|---|
| TE | Erick All | Questionable |
| DT | Kris Jenkins | Questionable |
CIN News
20 items
- Zac Taylor: Our defensive leadership has really expandedThe infusion of talent to the Bengals defense has been a major talking point of the offseason in Cincinnati, but the impact of the team's moves isn't only being felt on the field.CIN1h
- NCAA should explore what Cincinnati knew regarding Brendan SorsbyThe Brendan Sorsby saga has given rise to an intriguing question about the period of time during which he was actively, and heavily, betting on sports in violation of NCAA rules.CIN4h
- Super Bowl dark horse: Why Joe Burrow has the Bengals feeling like a serious title threat in 2026The Bengals -- yes, the Bengals -- feel like a legitimate Super Bowl contender heading into the season
- 2026 NFL minicamp takeaways: Joe Burrow makes crazy Bengals comparison, Bo Nix downplays ankle injury, moreTeam-by-team takeaways from the final week of minicamp as we head into the summer break
- Cincinnati denies agent's claim that it knew about Brendan Sorsby's gambling habitsDuring a Thursday interview with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, agent Ron Slavin said the University of Cincinnati knew about quarterback Brendan Sorsby's gambling habits.CIN1d
- Burrow says Bengals remind him of 2019 national champion LSUJoe Burrow said the vibes on this year's Bengals' team are similar to what they were on the 2019 LSU team he led to a College Football Playoff championship.
- Joe Burrow: I thrive off pressure, we'll find out who else doesBengals quarterback Joe Burrow hasn't been shy about expressing his high expectations for the 2026 season.
- Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield has been hearing from NFL teams about Brendan SorsbyWith quarterback Brendan Sorsby heading to the NFL (if the NFL lets him into the supplemental draft), the question becomes whether he'll be drafted and, if so, the round in which he'll be selected.CIN2d
- Ranking NFL's top 10 backup quarterback situations in 2026: Mac Jones, Fernando Mendoza among top optionsFrom Mac Jones keeping the 49ers afloat to Joe Flacco fitting perfectly in Cincinnati, these teams are best equipped if their starting quarterback misses timeCIN2d
- Brendan Sorsby issues statement on decision to apply for the NFL's supplemental draftBrendan Sorsby's college career is finished after two years at Indiana and two years at Cincinnati.CIN3d
- Katie Blackburn: The Bengals are "counting on having good season"After the 2025 season, Zac Taylor became the dean of AFC North coaches by default.CIN3d
- Katie Blackburn: The Bengals are "counting on a having good season"After the 2025 season, Zac Taylor became the dean of AFC North coaches by default.CIN3d
- Bengals confirm their interest in hosting the NFL draftThe Cincinnati Enquirer recently reported that the team and the Cincinnati Regional Sports Commission were engaged in talks with the NFL about the 2029 draft.CIN3d
- Will Bengals regain contender status? Front office is confidentLooking to maximize Joe Burrow's window, the Bengals acquired Dexter Lawrence during active offseason.
- Zac Taylor excited by what Dexter Lawrence brings to BengalsZac Taylor excited by what Dexter Lawrence brings to Bengals
- Schefter details why Bengals restructed Burrow's contractSchefter details why Bengals restructed Burrow's contract
- Bengals sign second-rounder Cashius HowellThe Bengals have signed all of their 2026 draft picks.
- Sources: Bengals restructure Burrow's deal, free up cap spaceThe Cincinnati Bengals have restructured quarterback Joe Burrow's contract, freeing up $10 million in cap space for the upcoming season.
- Bengals restructure Joe Burrow's contract for cap spaceThe Bengals have made a procedural move to gain some more cap space.
- Five NFL teams hit with unprecedented scheduling disadvantage that no team has ever been able to overcomeThe Eagles, Bengals, 49ers, Lions and Vikings might want to ask the NFL to redo the scheduleCIN9d