The Bengals’ 2026 opponents were finalized after Week 17 of the 2025 season. While teams will undergo significant changes during the offseason, here is a brief preview of where each opponent stands going into next season.

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Divisional Opponents

Baltimore Ravens

The Bengals will play their AFC North counterparts twice in 2026, once at home and once on the road. The Ravens narrowly missed the playoffs in 2025, losing a winner-take-all Week 18 game in Pittsburgh 26-24 as the Steelers won the division.

QB Lamar Jackson played in 13 games this season, scoring 23 total touchdowns. RB Derrick Henry is coming off a season where he ran for the third-most yards in his career (1,595) and 16 touchdowns.

Cincinnati went 1-1 against the Ravens in 2025, including a 32-14 victory in Baltimore on Thanksgiving.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers will host the Houston Texas in the Wild Card round of the 2025 playoffs after beating the Ravens in Week 18 to win the AFC North.

Pittsburgh currently has QB Aaron Rodgers under center, but it remains to be seen if he will be back for his 22nd season. If he is, Rodgers will be throwing to D.K. Metcalf, the ex-Seattle receiver who Pittsburgh added in the 2025 offseason. Metcalf caught 59 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games played.

The Bengals split the season series with Pittsburgh this past season, defeating the Steelers at Paycor Stadium on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns will have a new head coach on the sidelines next season, as they fired Kevin Stefanski Monday morning after a 5-12 season. Sefanski won Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2023 and led Cleveland to two playoff appearances in six years as head coach.

Cleveland will also have to decide on their quarterback, starting three different players under center last season, including rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Whoever is the head coach will look to continue the progression of an impressive 2025 draft class that featured LB Carson Schwesinger, RB Quinshon Judkins and TE Harold Fannin Jr. Defensive end Myles Garrett will also be back after breaking the NFL single-season sack record in 2025.

The Bengals went 1-1 against the Browns last season, winning in Cleveland in Week 1.

Home Opponents

Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014, going 6-11 and finishing third in the AFC West. QB Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL in Week 15, but the Chiefs are hoping their franchise quarterback will be back early in the season, possibly Week 1. It could be a new-look offense when Mahomes returns, as TE Travis Kelce decides whether to return for a 14th season or retire. The University of Cincinnati product and Ohio native is one of just three tight ends to clear 13,000 career receiving yards.

The Chiefs will pick in the top 10 for the first time since they traded up to select Mahomes in 2017, holding the ninth overall pick (The Bengals have the 10th pick).

Cincinnati last hosted Kansas City in 2022, winning 27-24.

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans finished 2025 6-11 and won four of their last five games under first-year head coach Kellen Moore. Rookie QB Tyler Shough took over for Spencer Rattler in Week 8, going 5-4 as a starter with 13 total touchdowns, including seven in the last five games. WR Chris Olave cleared the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in four seasons and set a career high with 100 receptions.

The Saints are set to have the eighth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as they look to possibly build around Shough.

Cincinnati last played New Orleans in 2022, winning 30-26, and last hosted the Saints in 2018.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers were close to making the NFC Playoffs, coming down to Week 18, but ended up on the outside looking in and finished 8-9 on the year after starting the season 6-2. QB Baker Mayfield will be back under center after throwing 26 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in 2025. Mayfield had 14 touchdown passes to two interceptions prior to the team's Week 9 bye.

Tampa Bay owns the 15th pick in the draft after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

The Bengals have won three straight against the Bucs going back to 2014, winning in Tampa 34-23 in 2022 and 37-34 in 2018 in Cincinnati.

Jacksonville Jaguars

After going 4-13 in 2024, the Jaguars had one of the most impressive turnarounds in the NFL in 2025, going 13-4 and winning the AFC South in the first year of HC Liam Coen and GM James Gladstone.

QB Trevor Lawrence threw for over 4,000 yards for the third time in five seasons, adding a franchise record 38 touchdowns. Defensively, the Jaguars lead the NFL with 85.6 rush yards allowed per game. They do not have a first-round pick in 2026 after trading it in a package to move up for Heisman winner Travis Hunter. Hunter suffered a season-ending injury in practice during the team's bye week but will be back in the fold in 2026.

Jacksonville looks to make a run in the 2025 Playoffs, starting with hosting the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round.

The Bengals hosted the Jaguars in the 2025 rendition of Open in Orange, winning 31-27 in Week 2 at Paycor Stadium.

Tennessee Titans

Tennessee will also have someone new at the helm as they fired former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan during the 2025 season. The Titans will have the third overall pick in 2026 after finishing 3-14.

Whoever GM Mike Borgonzi brings in will have a quarterback to build around, as 2025 first overall pick Cam Ward had a promising rookie campaign. The Miami product had 11 total touchdowns to one interception in the team's last seven games.

The Bengals defeated the Titans in 2024 37-27, have won four of the last five matchups and last hosted Tennessee in 2020, winning 31-20.

Road Opponents

Houston Texans

Houston's 2025 season continues in the playoffs as it travels to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers in the Wild Card round of the AFC Playoffs. The Texans finished second in the AFC South with a 12-5 record, securing the fifth seed in the AFC.

The Texans built their success on their defense, allowing the fewest yards per game and second fewest points per game in the NFL in 2025. QB C.J. Stroud will be back under center in 2026 after playing in 14 of 17 games this season, while WR Nico Collins looks to build off his 1,117-yard regular season.

Cincinnati last went to Houston in 2020, winning 37-31. The two teams met at Paycor Stadium in 2023 as the Texans won a thrilling 30-27 game.

Indianapolis Colts

After starting 2025 8-2, the Colts lost seven straight games and missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record. Indianapolis traded its first-round pick this year and next year for CB Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets at the trade deadline, so they will not have a first-round pick in this upcoming draft.

It remains to be seen who will be under center for the Colts at the start of 2026. QB Daniel Jones helped the team get off to the hot start, but he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 14 and is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. Jones said Monday he would love to be back in Indy and expects to be ready for training camp.

The Bengals last played in Lucas Oil Stadium in 2020, losing a close 31-27 game. The two teams last met at Paycor Stadium in 2023, with the Bengals defending home turf to the tune of a 34-14 victory.

Carolina Panthers

Another game that could have freezing temperatures depending on when it's scheduled, the Bengals will travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers in 2025. Green Bay finished the 2024 regular season with an 11-6 record but were still third in the NFC North and the seven seed in the 2024 NFC Playoffs. QB Jordan Love will return under center after throwing 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games this past season. It will be the first time the Bengals have played against Love.

Atlanta Falcons

Another team that will have a new coach at the helm, the Falcons relieved Raheem Morris of his duties following Week 18. They also let go of general manager Terry Fontenot after finishing the season 8-9 but on a four-game winning streak.

Whoever is directing the team will have a lot at his disposal. The Falcons offense boasts former first-round picks all over the field, including RB Bijan Robinson and WR Drake London. Another first rounder, TE Kyle Pitts, is set to be a free agent after finishing second in receiving yards among tight ends.

The quarterback situation remains a question mark after 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. suffered a partially torn ACL in Week 11 and struggled at times when healthy. Veteran Kirk Cousins played well down the stretch, but Atlanta could move on from Cousins and his contract in the offseason. The Bengals last traveled to Atlanta in 2018, winning 37-36, and have won three straight against the Falcons.

Miami Dolphins

The Bengals head back to South Beach in 2026 after defeating the Dolphins in Miami 45-21 in Week 16 of 2025.

The Dolphins finished the year 7-10 and missed the playoffs. They benched QB Tua Tagovailoa prior to Week 16 against Cincinnati, and rookie QB Quinn Ewers started the last three games, going 1-2 and throwing three touchdowns and three interceptions. Miami is in search of a new general manager after parting ways with Chris Grier in October.

Miami is set to make their first-round pick in April's draft directly after Cincinnati, holding the 11th overall selection.

The full 2026 NFL schedule will be released later this spring, typically in May.

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