Bengals One of the Teams to Watch in 2026

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t one of the blockbuster teams that get a lot of media attention. We’re looking at you, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams. But, they’re starting to come up in the NFL world. People are starting to care about the Bengals.

In a feature for USA Today published on Friday, June 12, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz ranks every NFL team from most to least entertaining. Now, this is subjective, of course. He notes that “there’s no universal standard for football aesthetics.”

“While transactions have mostly slowed to a trickle, the period before training camps doesn’t tend to lend a lot of insight into the state of teams,” he adds. “Prior to practices starting in a more formal summer setting, it can be difficult to make substantive assertions about the upcoming campaign. But summer is meant to be a time of fun, so let’s assess each franchise on how amusing each team might be in the fall.”

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He names the Bengals the No. 10 most exciting team to watch in the NFL. That’s pretty good.

“While the Bengals initially staved off drastic changes at the outset of the offseason, it’s hardly been status quo for Cincinnati,” he says in the piece. “The uncharacteristic Dexter Lawrence trade revealed the true depth of the Bengals’ desperation to return to the playoffs after a three-year absence.”

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He adds: “Joe Burrow has lauded this roster as the most talented one he’s been equipped with, and the skill-position talent is as formidable as ever. Only another catastrophic injury could significantly damage the Bengals’ entertainment value.”

If Burrow is finally healthy this season, he’ll definitely make for an interesting watch. This could be the year the Bengals make waves.

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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 11:29 AM.