In the aftermath of the NFL schedule release, the Cincinnati Bengals are an extremely hot item.
So hot, the Bengals seem favored in the most games in franchise history.
Pretty wild to think about. But they roster a top-three quarterback. The franchise left its comfort zone in generational fashion with the Dexter Lawrence trade and spent big in free agency. They also get a softer-than-expected schedule after last year’s struggles.
Here’s an NFL record predictions roundup in the aftermath looking at how outsiders feel about the Bengals.
Bleacher Report
Over at Bleacher Report, Moe Moton has the Bengals finishing at 10-7, taking the AFC North in the process.
Moton wrote the defensive makeover is the biggest factor here: “The Bengals are competitive with Burrow healthy, but the addition of Lawrence and Jonathan Allen could turn a bottom-tier defense into a solid group that can help this club get back into the playoffs.”
ESPN
Ben Baby at ESPN sees the Bengals starting 0-2 before getting right and has them in the running for the AFC North title.
A big note: “The Bengals have the third-easiest schedule in the league (opponents had a .450 winning percentage in 2025).”
Fox Sports
Most would agree when Fox Sports’ Ben Arthur says Joe Burrow is good for at least nine wins. He has them going 11-6, praising the defensive moves this offseason, though he stresses those have a limit.
“They’ve remade their defensive line with Dexter Lawrence II, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen,” Arthur wrote. “They added a reliable veteran in Bryan Cook at safety. I don’t think the moves Cincinnati has made are enough to get it back into the AFC’s upper echelon, but the team should be back in the postseason mix.”
Sports Illustrated
One of the lower Bengals record projections comes from Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame, who highlights the defense’s bad track record in recent years. He has the Bengals finishing at 9-8.
“If the defense is improved enough after adding nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II, safety Bryan Cook and edge rusher Boye Mafe, and Burrow can play 17 games, look out,” Verderame wrote. “Cincinnati has a soft end to its schedule, with six of its final seven opponents missing the playoffs last year.”
USA Today
Are the Bengals sneaky? USA Today’s predictions think so, with Tom Viera going as far as writing that there could be MVP discussions going on around Burrow by season’s end.
“Just five of their 17 games will be against 2025 playoff teams, two of which will be against the Steelers,” Viera wrote. “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.”
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL record predictions hype Bengals’ major offseason spending, trades
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
