It feels weird to say the Cincinnati Bengals are at a crossroads when they have a franchise quarterback in his prime. But here we are. After a brutal 6-11 finish in the 2025 season, the jungle feels a little less loud and a lot more anxious. You've seen the headlines. You've seen the stat lines. But if you think this team is done, you're probably missing the bigger picture of how NFL windows actually work.
Winning in the NFL is hard. Sustaining it is nearly impossible.
The Reality of Joe Burrow and the 2026 Outlook
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: Joe Burrow's health. In 2025, a turf toe injury sidelined him from Week 2 until Thanksgiving. It was painful to watch. The team scrambled, even trading for a 40-year-old Joe Flacco after Jake Browning struggled. When Burrow finally returned, he looked like himself—dropping 45 points on Miami and 37 on Arizona—but the hole was too deep.
People forget how much the offense revolves around his rhythm. When he's on, he’s a surgeon. When he’s out, the system collapses because the run game hasn't been there to bail anyone out.
The Cincinnati Bengals finished 29th in rushing yards last year. That is a recipe for disaster. Chase Brown did his best, cracking 1,000 yards, but the consistency wasn't there. For 2026, the team is sitting on the No. 10 overall pick. That’s a "silver lining" nobody wanted, but it’s a massive opportunity to grab a blue-chip tackle or a game-breaking tight end to keep Burrow upright.
The Defense: A Historic Mess
Honestly, the defense was the real story of the 2025 disaster. It wasn't just bad; it was historically porous. They gave up 492 points—the most in the history of the franchise.
Al Golden, who took over for Lou Anarumo, had a rough first year. The Bengals finished 31st in yards allowed. You can’t win games when you're a sieve. Surprisingly, Zac Taylor has already confirmed there will be no coaching changes for 2026. He’s betting on continuity. Whether that’s loyalty or stubbornness remains to be seen.
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One bright spot? The rookies.
- Demetrius Knight Jr. (2nd round, 2025) was a tackling machine, racking up 106 total tackles.
- Jordan Battle has turned into a legitimate star at safety with 125 tackles and 4 interceptions.
- Barrett Carter showed he can play multiple spots, finishing with 106 tackles of his own.
These guys are the future. If the defense is going to fix itself, it’s going to be because these young players take the "Year 2 leap" that coaches always talk about.
Why the Ja'Marr Chase Deal Changes Everything
The Bengals finally did it. In March 2025, they locked up Ja'Marr Chase with a four-year, $161 million extension. He’s now making $40.25 million a year on average.
It was expensive. It was necessary.
Chase is coming off a "Triple Crown" season where he led the league in catches (127), yards (1,708), and touchdowns (17). You don't let a guy like that walk. But the cost is high. Between Burrow and Chase, the Bengals have a massive chunk of their salary cap tied up in two players. This is the "Kansas City" model. You pay your stars and fill the rest of the roster with draft picks and cheap veterans.
Tee Higgins' situation remains the looming shadow. With Chase paid, the math for keeping Higgins long-term gets really tricky. Most insiders expect 2026 to be the "Last Dance" for the trio if they can't find a way to manipulate the cap further.
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Modernizing Paycor Stadium
Football isn't just played on the field; it’s played in the spreadsheets of the front office. The Bengals recently secured a lease extension through 2036, which is huge for the city. No more "will they move?" rumors for a decade.
The $470 million renovation project is set to kick off in earnest in 2026. We're talking:
- Massive overhauls to the Club and Suite levels.
- New vertical transportation (finally, more escalators).
- Upgraded "social hubs" and bars to compete with the newer stadiums in Vegas and LA.
The Mike Brown era was defined by frugality. The Katie Blackburn era seems defined by modernization. It’s a shift that fans have been begging for since the stadium opened in 2000.
What Most People Get Wrong About Zac Taylor
There is a loud contingent of fans who want Zac Taylor gone. I get it. Three straight years without a playoff berth is a tough pill to swallow.
But look at the context.
Injuries to the most important player in the building have derailed two of those seasons. The locker room hasn't turned on him. In fact, Burrow and Chase have been vocal about their support for the "culture" Taylor has built. In the NFL, culture is often a buzzword for "we like our boss," but in Cincinnati, it has translated to a team that doesn't quit when things get ugly.
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The 2026 season is the ultimate "prove it" year. No excuses. If the defense stays at the bottom of the league and the offense can't run the ball, the seat won't just be hot—it’ll be incinerated.
Your 2026 Bengals Checklist
If you're a fan trying to track if this team is actually improving, watch these three things during the offseason:
- The Right Tackle Spot: Amarius Mims needs to be the cornerstone. If they are still shuffling the line in August, Burrow is in danger.
- Defensive Line Depth: They need more than just Trey Hendrickson. Keep an eye on Shemar Stewart's development. He was the 17th pick for a reason.
- The Red Zone Run Game: Look for the Bengals to add a "bruiser" back in the later rounds of the 2026 draft or via cheap free agency. Chase Brown is great, but they need a hammer for the 1-yard line.
The window is still open because #9 is still under center. But the walls are closing in financially. This team has to hit on its 2026 draft picks (especially at No. 10) to supplement the massive contracts at the top.
Get your orange gear ready. It's going to be a long, loud, and incredibly tense summer in the Queen City. The talent is there. The plan is in place. Now, they just need to stay healthy and actually stop somebody on third down.
Next Steps for Bengals Fans:
Start scouting the top interior defensive linemen and offensive tackles for the 2026 NFL Draft. With the 10th overall pick, the Bengals are in a prime position to snag a starter like Mason Graham or Will Campbell, depending on how the board falls. Also, keep an eye on the June 1st salary cap designations; this is when the Bengals often make their final veteran "bargain" signings to fill out the defensive rotation.