The Cincinnati Bengals released their full schedule for the upcoming season on May 14.
With a desire to make another Super Bowl run during quarterback Joe Burrow’s prime, Cincinnati did everything it could this offseason to improve its roster. The offseason was highlighted by the franchise making a blockbuster trade with the New York Giants for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence prior to the NFL draft.
Before to the acquisition of Lawrence, the Bengals signed three starters in free agency: defensive end Boye Mafe, safety Bryan Cook and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, all proven veterans who should help Cincinnati right away.
Head coach Zac Taylor’s staff returns for another season, as does each offensive starter from the 2025 season.
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Upon review of the Bengals’ schedule and all of the factors mentioned above, the Bengals appear to be in a favorable position to make a postseason run again.
Let’s dive into the biggest takeaways from Cincinnati’s schedule release.
Bengals get favorable time slots early in the season
The Bengals need to take advantage of playing seven consecutive games at 1 p.m. ET to start the season. This is significant for the Bengals because it sets up the team to have normal week-to-week schedules for two months. When an NFL team plays on the road or at home in primetime, the schedule in the days following is altered.
It’s why hosting a primetime game is advantageous, and the Bengals will have two this year at Paycor Stadium. When the Bengals are a road team playing at night, they don’t arrive back in Cincinnati until 2 or 3 a.m. Then, Monday’s schedule is pushed back so the players can get enough rest. NFL head coaches are forced to tweak the schedule following primetime games.
Rest and recovery for these premiere athletes is a huge part of the 17-game season. The latest time the Bengals will arrive in Cincinnati as a road team during the 1 p.m. slate is 9 p.m.
The Bengals also don’t travel to the West Coast during the regular season. The furthest trip the team will make is when they play overseas in Madrid, Spain.
Cincinnati Bengals toughest stretch: Week 9-11 (at Falcons in Spain, home vs. Steelers, at Commanders)
Speaking of the Bengals’ international trip, it kicks off what is the toughest stretch of Cincinnati’s schedule. The Bengals will take a nine-hour flight to Spain and have to acclimate to a different time zone. Then, the team returns immediately following the game on Nov. 8. It won’t return to Cincinnati until Nov. 9 and will have one day off before getting back to work for a primetime matchup at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”
Then, after a late division game on Nov. 15, the Bengals will play a primetime road game against the Washington Commanders on Nov. 23. This means they’ll arrive back in Cincinnati in the early hours on Nov. 24 and immediately turn the page for a home game against the Saints on Nov. 31 − with Thanksgiving sprinkled in on Nov. 28.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor will need to make plenty of schedule tweaks to ensure his players stay fresh and get enough rest and recovery time.
This is why it’s imperative for the Bengals to stack wins in September and October, because November and December will be challenging.
Most intriguing matchup: Bengals vs. Chiefs at Paycor Stadium
Patrick Mahomes vs. Burrow with Tom Brady calling the game is about as good as it gets as far as quarterback play and commentary taking place at one time. The Bengals-Chiefs matchups have produced some of the most intriguing games over the last five years, and this one was protected by FOX for a reason.
The Chiefs didn’t make the playoffs last season for the first time in Mahomes’ career. He’s coming off a torn ACL that ended his season early and will be playing with intent to prove he’s still one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
Burrow is ready to get his team back to the playoffs after three years of sitting at home in January. If both teams take care of business early in the season, this game could determine the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs.
Tough test early: Week 1 and Week 2 will provide litmus test for Cincinnati’s offense
The Bengals believe they have the best passing attack in the NFL. All of the starters from the unit that ranked No. 12 in the NFL in scoring last season return for another season.
Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will be back catching passes from Burrow. All five of Cincinnati’s starting offensive linemen are under contract for at least one more year. Tight end Mike Gesicki and running back Chase Brown complete the group of weapons for Cincinnati’s offense.
Cincinnati’s potent offense will know how good they are in the first two weeks. The Texans had the second-best defense in the NFL last season, allowing only 17.4 points per game. Houston reloaded in the offseason and projects to be among the best in the NFL once again.
Although Tampa is coming off a down year, the Buccaneers have always had one of the best defensive lines in the NFL under head coach Todd Bowles. The Bucs have logged 83 sacks over the last two years. Burrow’s protection will be challenged right away.
Must-win game: Week 17 vs. Ravens on New Year’s Eve
With so much turnover in the division, the Bengals should be in the running for the AFC North title. The Ravens, Browns and Steelers all have new head coaches. Cincinnati is banking on its continuity this season, and the hope is it will help them take home the division title for the first time since 2022. In order to win the division and host a playoff game, the Bengals need to at least split the series with the Ravens. Winning at home in front of what is primed to be a rabid crowd would be huge.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Check out the breakdown of the 2026 NFL schedule for the Bengals
Reporting by Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
