Division
AFC North
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
9.0p10 7.0 — p90 12.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win division | 32.0% | |
| Make playoffs | 59.6% | |
| Divisional rd. | 35.0% | |
| Conf. champ. | 17.1% | |
| Super Bowl | 8.2% | |
| Win SB | 4.5% |
2026 Schedule
proj record 9.2–7.8
Schedule
32nd
toughest of 32
Offenses faced
32nd
toughest of 32
Defenses faced
12th
toughest of 32
| Wk | Opp | Opp | Score | Proj | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsTB | +1.0 | 28–28 | +0.9 | 53% |
| 2 | @HOU | +2.0 | 20–28 | -8.3 | 27% |
| 3 | @PIT | +0.0 | 24–27 | -2.4 | 43% |
| 4 | vsJAX | +1.5 | 25–28 | -2.6 | 42% |
| 5 | @MIA | -0.3 | 29–28 | +1.4 | 54% |
| 7 | @BAL | +2.0 | 24–30 | -5.7 | 34% |
| 8 | vsTEN | -4.1 | 31–19 | +12.1 | 81% |
| 9 | @ATL | -1.3 | 25–26 | -0.9 | 47% |
| 10 | vsPIT | +0.0 | 26–25 | +0.6 | 52% |
| 11 | @WAS | -0.3 | 32–29 | +2.8 | 58% |
| 12 | vsNO | -3.1 | 27–24 | +3.4 | 60% |
| 13 | @CLE | -3.5 | 23–19 | +4.4 | 63% |
| 14 | vsKC | +1.7 | 29–29 | -0.8 | 48% |
| 15 | @CAR | -2.5 | 29–24 | +4.7 | 64% |
| 16 | @IND | +1.3 | 27–29 | -2.2 | 44% |
| 17 | vsBAL | +2.0 | 26–29 | -2.6 | 42% |
| 18 | vsCLE | -3.5 | 25–17 | +7.5 | 71% |
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
15 items
- 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 scheduleCIN5d
- Joe Burrow: Agrees to contract restructureBurrow agreed to a restructured contract Tuesday, creating $10 million in cap space for the Bengals, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.
- Ja'Marr Chase: Defensive moves have raised our expectationsBengals quarterback Joe Burrow called this year's roster the most talented one he's been a part of in the NFL and the offseason moves on the defensive side of the ball are the biggest reason to feel that way.
- Bengals-Bears to hold joint practice before their preseason gameThe Bengals and Bears will hold a joint practice ahead of their Aug. 22 preseason game at Paycor Stadium.CIN12d
- Ja'Marr Chase says Bengals face higher expectations due to defensive improvementsJa'Marr Chase said the Bengals' additions on defense have raised the expectations for the team's success in 2026.
- Betting the Bengals in 2026: See how Cincinnati's win total, Super Bowl odds are trending and our best betsWe're breaking down Bengals futures in our 2026 betting preview, featuring odds, trends, schedule and moreCIN12d
- Bengals' Joe Flacco says "Good for us" as Myles Garrett leaves the divisionFlacco has played both with Garrett and against him, and is glad not to have Garrett in the division anymore.CIN12d
- Bengals, Burrow know they have ability to be 'more explosive'Cincinnati is looking to get back to being one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL.
- Argentine police arrest suspects in U.S. athlete burglariesMen suspected of being part of a transnational gang that orchestrated burglaries at the homes of well-known athletes, including stars from the NBA and NFL, have been arrested in Argentina.
- AFC North win totals: Take the Over on Joe Burrow and the remade Bengals defenseBreaking down the Over/Under win totals for the four teams in the AFC North