Bengals Have No More Excuses Entering the 2026 NFL Season

For the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s time for results to meet expectations.

They had a more productive offseason of re-tooling its defense and tweaking a roster that underperformed in 2025, which was a disappointment with a 6-11 record and third straight season out of the playoffs in the Joe Burrow era.

The Bengals entered the offseason at a critical crossroads.

Their star quarterback missed more than half of last season -- nine games following turf toe surgery -- and the Bengals' defense ranked in the bottom five of several significant categories, The organization faced intense media scrutiny and fan pessimism ... Are the Bengals ever going to build a winner around Joe Burrow?

Bengals ownership, led by Mike Brown and his daughter, Katie, have traditionally chosen conservative, baseline adjustments to tweak the roster. That was definitely not the case starting with free agency in March and continuing through the draft.

Veteran impact free agents like Cincinnati native and Super Bowl champion safety Bryan Cook, defensive edge Boye Mafe, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and safety Kyle Dugger were added. They then stunned the NFL by trading away their first-round draft pick (No. 10 overall) for defensive tackle and front four anchor Dexter Lawrence II, and extending him another year at $28 million for 2028. Then they did something they almost never do – they restructured Burrow’s contract to free up approximately $10 million in critical cap space.

All of the moves are a signal that those inside the organization understand that the championship window is wide open. An influx of high-tier talent has fundamentally altered the external narrative and internal expectations in Cincinnati as training camp approaches.

"A lot of urgency this year," Burrow said. "We have everything we need. We're deep at just about every position on the team.”

Following the departure of longtime star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson to division rival Baltimore for four years and $112 million in free agency, the Bengals adjusted from relying on a singular dominant edge rusher to utilizing a committee of quick-pressure and flexible edge defenders.

Mafe brings immediate speed off the edge from the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahwaks. Defensive coordinator Al Golden is counting on him being and every down edge. The Bengals added to their pass rush options by taking Texas A&M edge and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Cashius Howell in the second round (No. 41 overall). Howell adds a highly athletic edge threat to the rotational mix. Mafe and Howell join a group that also features 2023 first-round edge Myles Murphy and 2025 first-rounder Shemar Stewart.

For Burrow, the overhauled roster brings back familiar pressure and expectations to win, and win big.

“Put pressure on guys. I love it. I thrive in it,” Burrow said. “We’ll find out who else does. I know we have the kind of people who want to be in that spot. I want everybody talking about the Bengals. You go back and watch what I said before the 2019 (national championship) season at LSU. I feel very similarly about this team. I’m so excited to get started and get moving.”

Burrow's confidence is fueled by a completely revitalized supporting cast on both sides of the ball. Burrow acknowledges that the increased financial commitment from ownership eliminates excuses, placing the responsibility on leadership to execute.

With a bolstered roster, expectations have risen to a championship standard, the standard by both Burrow and head coach Zac Taylor repeated often following their Super Bowl run in 2021 and their run to a second straight AFC title game appearance in 2022. Taylor has echoed this optimism, successfully accomplished its objectives regarding scheme implementation and personnel preparation during the offseason workout and practice program.

"We accomplished everything we set out to accomplish,” Taylor said at the end of mandatory minicamp in June.

The 2026 season is viewed as a critical juncture for the Bengals to capitalize on its heavy roster investments and win the first Super Bowl title in the franchise’s 59th season.