Joe Burrow enters his seventh NFL season in 2026. Ishika Samant / Getty Images
The Cincinnati Bengals went 6-11 in the 2025 regular season, finishing third in the AFC North. The season was marred by starting quarterback Joe Burrow suffering a turf toe injury in Week 2 that kept him out until Thanksgiving. The Bengals went 1-8 while he was out and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
Cincinnati beefed up its defense this offseason, signing free agents Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook and Jonathan Allen, drafting edge Cashius Howell and making a blockbuster trade for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. All 11 starters are back on offense with a healthy Burrow, including all five starting offensive linemen for the first time in his career. Expectations are for a rebound and return to the short list of contenders to win the AFC.
The NFL will release the 2026 schedules for all 32 teams at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. Here is what we know about the Bengals’ schedule so far:
The Bengals will play each team from the AFC South and the NFC South, while hosting the Kansas City Chiefs, visiting the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders. Cincinnati will also see its AFC North rivals twice, once on the road and once at Paycor Stadium. All three divisional teams hired new coaches this offseason, while Zac Taylor returns to Cincinnati for his eighth season.
The NFL announced on Tuesday that the Bengals will play internationally for the first time since Taylor’s first season in 2019, heading to Madrid in Week 9 to play the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 8. The game will be broadcast on NFL Network.
Here is the lineup of home and road opponents, listed alphabetically.
Bengals’ 2026 opponents
HomeRoad
Baltimore Ravens
Atlanta Falcons
Cleveland Browns
Baltimore Ravens
Jacksonville Jaguars
Carolina Panthers
Kansas City Chiefs
Cleveland Browns
New Orleans Saints
Houston Texans
Pittsburgh Steelers
Indianapolis Colts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Miami Dolphins
Tennessee Titans
Pittsburgh Steelers
Washington Commanders
May 14, 2026
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