Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Zac Taylor
Offensive Coordinator: Dan Pitcher
Defensive Coordinator: Al Golden
Special Teams Coordinator: Darrin Simmons
2025 Summary (W-L Record: 6-11)
The Bengals’ 2025 season went very similar to how many of their recent seasons have gone. Joe Burrow got hurt. The defense wasn’t competitive. And Cincy found themselves on the outside looking in come playoff time.
Even if Burrow had been in the lineup for all 17 games last year, I’m not sure the Bengals defense would have had enough to get them to the playoffs.
The year before, when Burrow was arguably the MVP of the league, they still missed the postseason because the defense gave up 25.5 points per game, which ranked 25th in the NFL. Somehow, they managed to be even worse last season, allowing 28.9 points per game and ranking 30th in the league.
On top of that, they were 31st in yards allowed and dead last in yards per play. This was the worst defense the Bengals have had since Burrow entered the league.
The D-line, especially with Trey Hendrickson playing in just 7 games, wasn’t enough to disrupt opposing offenses (22nd in sacks). They couldn’t stop the run (32nd in rushing yards allowed). They couldn’t get off the field (28th on 3rd down).
Somehow, they did manage to crack the top-10 in takeaways, which was just about the only thing they did well on defense. If not for that, it would have been far worse.
The Bengals have already missed the playoffs in 3 consecutive seasons. If they aren’t careful, they run the risk of turning Burrow’s career into the second coming of Dan Marino. That is, a quarterback who’s one of the best in the game, but who never sniffs the Super Bowl again after reaching it and coming up short in his second season.
Key Additions
WR Colbie Young (4th Rd, 140th Overall)
C Connor Lew (4th Rd, 128th Overall)
DL Dexter Lawrence
DL Jonathan Allen
EDGE Boye Mafe
EDGE Cashius Howell (2nd Rd, 41st Overall)
CB Tacario Davis (3rd Rd, 72nd Overall)
CB Ja’Sir Taylor Chargers
S Bryan Cook
S Kyle Dugger
Key Losses
TE Noah Fant
EDGE Joseph Ossai
EDGE Trey Hendrickson
EDGE Cam Sample
LB Logan Wilson
CB Cam Taylor-Britt
S Geno Stone
S Tycen Anderson
Biggest Questions Entering 2026
Can Joe Burrow stay healthy?
This is by far the most important question for the Bengals every season. Whatever concerns there are with the defense, it’s not even worth monitoring if Burrow can’t play a full 17 (or close to it).
And unfortunately, that hasn’t been a common occurrence throughout his career.
His 2020 rookie season ended with 6 games remaining due to a serious knee injury. He missed most of training camp and preseason in 2022 due to a ruptured appendix, causing him and the Bengals to get off to a slow 0-2 start. He missed the final 7 games of the 2023 season due to a torn wrist ligament in his throwing hand. Then last year, he missed 9 games due to a Week 2 turf toe injury that required surgery.
The Bengals re-signed Joe Flacco this offseason. He’s about as good of a back-up and insurance policy that you can ask for. Still, if there are any more serious injuries or Burrow misses significant time, you can basically kiss Cincy’s season goodbye.
We can debate all day about how good Burrow is and where he ranks among NFL QBs. But what’s probably not debatable is that he plays at a higher level from the pocket than any quarterback in the NFL (maybe except for Matthew Stafford):
Joe Burrow's Touchdown Pass to Andrei Iosivas vs. the Ravens was Quarterbacking at its Finest
Joe Burrow returned to the field on Thanksgiving for the first time in 11 weeks and led the Bengals to a key road division win over the Ravens.
Here’s a look at over 30 plays from Burrow’s 2024 MVP-caliber season, where you can get a great feel for how special he is from the pocket:
If you’re a fan of great quarterbacking, let’s hope we get to see Burrow play a full 17-game season in 2026. That combination of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins is about as fun to watch and as dangerous as any passing game we’ve seen in the NFL in recent years.
Do the Bengals’ offseason moves improve the run defense enough?
The Bengals’ offense is nearly impossible to stop. So opponents generally attempt to merely limit or contain them, not shut them down completely. One way to do that is by keeping them off the field.
This is why it’s so important that the Bengals’ run defense isn’t as horrendous this year as it was in 2025 (32nd in yards allowed, 31st in yards per attempt, 26th in 10-yard runs).