The Cincinnati Bengals thought 2025 would be a bounce-back year. Instead, it became the franchise’s third straight playoff miss and its first losing season since Joe Burrow’s rookie year.
Cincinnati stumbled to a 6-11 finish while its defense collapsed near the bottom of the league, allowing the third most points (28.9 per game) and second most yards (380.9 per game).
The season veered off course early when Burrow suffered a serious turf toe injury in Week 2 against Jacksonville, underwent surgery, and landed on injured reserve.
The Bengals went 1-8 without him and, for the third time in Burrow’s six NFL seasons, watched their franchise quarterback lose a significant stretch of the year to injury.
That’s what makes Pete Schrager’s bold prediction on ESPN’s “Get Up” so notable.
“We’re saying this in May, but wait for August. This is going to be a trendy pick for a lot of people for the Super Bowl out of the AFC,” Schrager said. “They brought back 11 starters on offense, an offense that was high-flying when Burrow was in there.”
“All the turnover within the division, Ravens, Browns, Steelers, all new head coaches. The Bengals seem to be the stable situation. And Burrow being on site there at minicamp, there’s a lot of reason to be optimistic about the Bengals,” he added.
“They have put all of the resources into it, and they brought veterans in. Jonathan Allen, Dexter Lawrence, Bryan Cook. They’re looking at this season like, ‘Hey, let’s get it done.’ If they fall on their face and miss four straight playoffs, well then there’s discussions to be had.”
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Cincinnati attacked the 2026 offseason aggressively, pouring major resources into fixing the two issues that have defined the Burrow era: keeping their franchise quarterback upright, and defense.
The headline move was a blockbuster deal that saw the Bengals trade the No. 10 overall pick to acquire star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, then quickly reward him with a one-year, $28 million extension that keeps him under contract through 2028.
That was the first time in franchise history that the team traded a top-10 pick.
They also added veteran interior force Jonathan Allen, signed edge rusher Boye Mafe, and brought in former Chiefs safety Bryan Cook to reinforce a secondary that badly needed reinforcements.
On offense, Cincinnati retained Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Brown and continued prioritizing continuity around Burrow.
In total, the Bengals spent around $135.37 million in free agency, the 10th most in the NFL, according to Spotrac.
That’s more the franchise has spent than the previous two offseasons combined and ranks as the second-largest free agency haul in the Burrow era, trailing only his rookie season in 2020 ($137.4 million, per Spotrac).
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The logic behind Schrager’s prediction becomes clearer when you zoom out to the AFC North, a division that suddenly feels unpredictable.
Baltimore enters 2026 with significant change, losing Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and turning to Jesse Minter for his first NFL head coaching job. Cleveland is navigating its own transition under new coach Todd Monken, while uncertainty still clouds the quarterback room, where Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders remain locked in competition.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has handed the keys to veteran coach Mike McCarthy and once again appears ready to bet on however much magic a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers still has left.
Cincinnati stands apart from all of it.
The Bengals return the same nucleus that carried them to a Super Bowl just a few years ago: Zac Taylor, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, which, combined with running back Chase Brown and tight end Mike Gesicki, forms one of the league’s most explosive attacks.
Most sportsbooks and projection models peg Cincinnati around the 9.5 to 10.5 win range, but the emotional bar is higher than any number in Vegas.
If the Bengals miss the playoffs again, the conversation changes dramatically. Questions around Zac Taylor intensify. Front-office decision-making gets scrutinized. And the uncomfortable reality around Burrow’s prime becomes impossible to ignore.
In other words, this feels closer to Super Bowl or bust for Cincinnati.
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