The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t winners of the NFL schedule release.
Those Bengals face some brutal stretches. And perhaps the biggest painful talking point exiting the NFL schedule reveal is the poorly timed bye week.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals have one of those dreaded early bye weeks in 2026. It falls in Week 6 after just five games.
A poorly timed bye week creates some big problems for the Bengals:
A big part of the sting here? The NFL removed the ability for teams to choose a bye week after an international game just last year.
Maybe this is making a big deal about exaggerated things like rest times and travel times. But if there’s a negative to talk about for the schedule, these are the tough points for the Bengals.
No matter how the schedule fell, though, the Bengals went all-in this offseason and believe they have done enough to endure whatever the season throws at them.
The Bengals’ schedule, with negative points like this, will certainly put that idea to the test.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals’ bye week on NFL schedule drama, explained
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
