The past couple games of the Cincinnati Bengals' current, massively disappointing season provide a glimpse into what the next phase of Joe Burrow's career could look like.
Whether it's an improved offensive line and running game, or the defense remembering how to play the actual sport of football, the Bengals look a lot better. They've outscored Miami and Arizona by a combined 82-35 — and some of those yielded points came via garbage time.
Now that we know every opponent on the 2026 schedule, it's imperative that the front office pulls out all the stops to do right by Burrow. Because my goodness, the slate looks mighty favorable.
Joe Burrow & Bengals can go nuclear on 2026 opponents in ascent to Super Bowl contention
Basing a season schedule's degree of difficulty based on the prior year's results only gets you so far. However, just take a look at the Bengals' 2026 opponents and tell me it's not wildly gettable.
Next season’s opponents for the Bengals pic.twitter.com/nkVXY1V7A5
— NFL Nerd (@NerdingonNFL) December 28, 2025
First of all, the AFC North is something of a disaster. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers is likely to retire. Rumors are flying around that Lamar Jackson's diva act is wearing patience thin in Baltimore. The Browns are the freaking Browns.
An at-long-last healthy Burrow, armed with o-line continuity and a modicum of defensive support, could leave the divisional competition in the dust.
Never mind if the defense is doing anything close to this come Week 1, 2026:
Over the last 6 games, the Bengals have the number 1 defense in the league on 3rd Downs.
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) December 29, 2025
It's the best Pass Defense in terms of EPA per play BY FAR. pic.twitter.com/OXoZOlvuw0
As for the rest of the slate, the AFC South and NFC South are the cross-divisional opponents. Let's start with the former. The Titans will go through a coaching change, and Colts QB Daniel Jones will be coming off a torn Achilles. It'll help to get the Jags at home for sure. Houston on the road will be the toughest duel from that lot.
Regarding the NFC South, Atlanta is dreadful and in the midst of a rebuild with an uncertain QB situation. The Bucs are having a full-blown meltdown and could fire head coach Todd Bowles. They're still the most talented team in that division, but what they look like in 2026 is anyone's guess.
New Orleans is still in a perpetual salary cap conundrum. Little ability to add meaningful upgrades to the roster until 2027. I'd be more scared of Carolina if Bryce Young didn't just, you know, throw for 54 yards on 24 attempts against the Seahawks, at home, with a division title on the line!
Finally, we arrive at the one-off opponents. We've got the Chiefs at home and the Dolphins and Commanders on the road.
Bengals arch-nemesis/KC field general Patrick Mahomes is rehabbing from a torn ACL. How's he going to look moving forward? Washington signal-caller Jayden Daniels only played in seven games this season, and that Commanders roster is old-old. Lots of work to do to even field a competitive defense. Oh, and Miami just benched Tua Tagovailoa for seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Jones and Mahomes, the possible coaching changes in Tampa and Atlanta, the inferiority of Bryce Young, the drama in Baltimore, Rodgers' likely exit from the NFL, and Cleveland's ongoing dysfunction, it'd be organizational malpractice by Cincinnati to not pull out all the stops and pounce on the 2026 season like Joe Burrow's future with the team depends on it.
Because it does. If he doesn't make the playoffs for four straight years, you can bet Burrow will hit 30 years old, start looking around, and wondering how things may be different in a new uniform.