Division
AFC North
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
8.0p10 5.0 — p90 10.0
| Round | Prob | Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Win division | 16.8% | |
| Make playoffs | 28.8% | |
| Divisional rd. | 12.1% | |
| Conf. champ. | 4.4% | |
| Super Bowl | 1.5% | |
| Win SB | 0.6% |
2026 Schedule · SOS
proj 7.8–9.2·rank 26 / 32
SOS Net
-0.36
Opp Off
-0.70
Opp Def
-0.34
| Wk | Opp | Opp | Proj | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsTB | -0.3 | +0.7 | 52% |
| 2 | @HOU | +5.7 | -9.4 | 24% |
| 3 | @PIT | -0.4 | -3.3 | 40% |
| 4 | vsJAX | +4.2 | -3.9 | 39% |
| 5 | @MIA | -2.4 | -1.3 | 46% |
| 7 | @BAL | +1.3 | -5.0 | 36% |
| 8 | vsTEN | -4.8 | +5.1 | 65% |
| 9 | @ATL | -1.5 | -2.2 | 44% |
| 10 | vsPIT | -0.4 | +0.7 | 52% |
| 11 | @WAS | -0.8 | -2.9 | 42% |
| 12 | vsNO | -3.3 | +3.6 | 61% |
| 13 | @CLE | -3.6 | -0.1 | 50% |
| 14 | vsKC | +1.4 | -1.0 | 47% |
| 15 | @CAR | -1.8 | -1.8 | 45% |
| 16 | @IND | +2.9 | -6.6 | 31% |
| 17 | vsBAL | +1.3 | -0.9 | 47% |
| 18 | vsCLE | -3.6 | +3.9 | 61% |
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 · 15
| Pos | Depth | Player | Ht | Wt | Age | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Amarius Mims | 6'8" | 350 | 23 | Georgia |
| OL | — | Andrew Coker | 6'7" | 315 | 25 | TCU |
| OL | — | Brian Parker II | 6'5" | 310 | 22 | Duke |
| 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 | — | Corey Robinson II | 6'5" | 311 | — | Arkansas; Georgia Tech; Kansas |
| 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% |
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
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 $402M
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 · 1
last report week 18
| Pos | Player | Status |
|---|---|---|
| DT | Kris Jenkins | IR· Ankle |
CIN News
5 items
- Bengals News (6/1): Bengals best offseason moveIt isn't a surprising one.CIN11h
- ESPN’s Bill Barnwell was not a fan of Bengals trading for Dexter LawrenceBill Barnwell makes some good points, but you'll have to try harder to make fans concerned about the move at this point.
- Myles Murphy named among 10 contract-year players most likely to break out in 2026Fox Sports’ Ben Arthur is high on the Bengals pass rusher.
- 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.
- 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