Many folks in the national media are hesitant to respect the Cincinnati Bengals, never mind fully buy into them as Super Bowl contenders. "Winning the offseason" doesn't guarantee anything, but it can go a long way in bolstering a team's championship hopes.
What the Bengals have done to overhaul their defense and their whole franchise philosophy is truly different, though. Joe Burrow actually buys into their vision, and has stated on the record that this is the most talented roster he's ever been a part of in the NFL.
At least one esteemed analyst from one esteemed publication is willing to go out on what I personally believe is an uber-stable limb to dream big for this year's Bengals.
Bleacher Report analyst knows ball; predicts a Joe Burrow MVP and first-ever Bengals Super Bowl
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently wrote an article that focused on the eight biggest surprises for the upcoming NFL season. Capping off the list — saving the best for last, no doubt — was the forecast of Burrow winning his first MVP award, and finally delivering a Super Bowl to Cincinnati:
"With Burrow under center, the Bengals are as lethal offensively as any team in the NFL. If Cincinnati fields even an average defense in 2026, they are the best team in the AFC North on paper. We'll take it even farther than that—the AFC is loaded this season, but the Bengals have already shown they can run the playoff gauntlet—playing in a Super Bowl and two AFC Championship Games with Burrow. Burrow will get his better defense this year and make it all the way to SoFi Stadium and Super Bowl LXI, picking up his first MVP award along the way. Then he'll cap off 2026 with the franchise's first championship."
In the three full seasons Burrow has finished as a pro, he went to the Super Bowl, went to the AFC Championship Game, and the year he didn't make the playoffs, he led the NFL in passing yards and passing TDs.
The logic is sound here from Mr. Davenport. The AFC is wide-open. Burrow is arguably the best quarterback in the sport when he's healthy. Certainly the most surgical from the pocket — and that's not to downplay his ability to make plays off-schedule, which many love to sleep on just because he's not as electric with his legs as, say, Lamar Jackson.
Burrow's divisional rival has two MVP awards to his name, yet comes nowhere close to playing at that level when it matters most in the playoffs. Many insist Burrow is under pressure this year to deliver. I'd contend Jackson and Buffalo's Josh Allen face far more scrutiny. They've had far more playoff blunders. The issue with Joe Brrr is just staying healthy.
Even with his turf toe injury last season, Burrow blasted past his expected rehab timeline, and came back to play some highly efficient football with a 100-plus passer rating and an extremely low turnover-worthy play rate.
If the ball bounces Burrow's way more often and he doesn't have five interceptions on just two turnover-worthy plays, and as Davenport references, the defense is just passable, Cincinnati should indeed be squarely in the Super Bowl mix.
Haters, doubt Joe Shiesty at your own risk. He's not coming back for 30% in 2026. He's coming back for everything.
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