It's officially prediction SZN across the NFL media landscape, and the Cincinnati Bengals are among the most polarizing teams entering the 2025 campaign.
While Joe Burrow and the offense are expected to ball out as usual, the defense has a lot of lingering question marks, with Trey Hendrickson chief among them. Can Cincinnati turn things around and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2022-23 postseason? Or will it be another dud of a year?
Let's find out what the projections are for the 2025 Bengals according to one major sports media outlet. Mild spoiler alert: It's a rather rosy assessment.
Bleacher Report predicts big bounce-back for 'boom or bust' Bengals
Veteran Bleacher Report scribe Brad Gagnon dropped an article that named 10 teams across the NFL as the biggest boom-or-bust candidates for 2025. Ninth on that list — as in more boomy, less busty? — were the Bengals.
Gagnon did a decent if succinct and surface-level job of summarizing the ways in which each team could boom or bust before giving a bottom-line prediction. Here's what he had to say about Cincinnati:
"Boom: Led by one of the most dangerous offensive trios in the NFL, the Bengals finally get their act together and return to contender status as Joe Burrow wins his first MVP.
Bust: The offensive line and the defense again let them down and/or they fail to stay healthy on offense as they again fall short of double-digit wins despite Super Bowl-level top-end talent.
Prediction: The Bengals are so much better than 9-8, and it might be Burrow's time with both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins locked in. They will battle the Ravens hard for the AFC North crown."
How about we springboard off that final point? The strengths and weaknesses of the Bengals are rather self-evident to you if you're reading this. What I buy into is that Cincinnati will be superior to the likes of the Browns and Steelers in the AFC North, with Baltimore being the only real threat.
No disrespect to Pittsburgh, but come on. Red flags all over the place. A rigid culture that refuses to modernize its offense is finally pushing all its chips in on an advanced-age Aaron Rodgers? Doesn't sound like it'll end well. Maybe that's my bias talking.
...And the Browns are the Browns, let's be honest. They're intent on starting their own quadragenarian at quarterback in Joe Flacco. Good luck with that, Cleveland. What a shame that you sold your soul for a predatory QB — Roger Goodell's term, not mine! — when Baker Mayfield was there for you all along.
OK back to the subject at hand. Provided the Bengals finish no worse than second in the division, it's hard to envision how they won't wind up in the playoffs. That is, as long as Trey Hendrickson gets his money. Which he will. Right? ...Right?
The AFC South is a dumpster fire quartet of teams, so only the Texans should come out of that cluster. Feels like the AFC West will cannibalize itself. Nobody but the Bills is liable to be in the playoffs from the AFC East.
I'll take second to the Ravens, because we all know who the better playoff QB is between Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. Just give Joe one key stop and maybe one good quarter's worth of pass protection, and we're off to another Super Bowl, baby.