Bengals 2026 opponents revealed, and the stars aligned for a matchup against their playoff rival
These are the teams Cincinnati will play against in 2026.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2026 opponents are set in stone.
While some teams need Week 18 to play out in its entirety, Cincinnati already knows which teams will populate its 2026 regular season slate.
The Bengals will play eight home games and nine road games next year. Listed below are the opponents for all 17 games.
Bengals 2026 Home Opponents
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bengals 2026 Road Opponents
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Indianapolis Colts
- Houston Texans
- Miami Dolphins
- Washington Commanders
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati will always play three divisional games at home and on the road, meaning the Ravens, Browns, and Steelers are both home and road opponents. The rest of the schedule is determined by a rotation of opposing divisions, and opponents who finish in the place spot of their respective division standings.
The AFC North will face the AFC South and NFC South, so the Bengals will face every team from both divisions. Home and road opponents from these divisions also rotate every time the divisions clash. For example, Cincinnati faced the Saints and Buccaneers on the road in 2022, so the Bengals will host those teams this year.
Remaining games are a product of division standing. Cincinnati will finish the 2025 season as the third-place AFC North club, so three other third-place teams will play the Bengals in 2026.
The Chiefs will come to Paycor Stadium as the reigning third-place club from the AFC West, the Dolphins will host the Bengals after finishing third in the AFC East, and the Commanders will do the same as they finished third in the NFC East.
Many fans will rightfully lock in on Kansas City coming back to the Queen City for the first time since 2022. The Bengals’ last two meetings against the Chiefs have been in K.C., including the 2022-23 AFC Championship Game, the last playoff game Cincinnati appeared in. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL, but the NFL schedule-makers may want to put this matchup in a marquee time slot.
The Washington matchup is here because Cincinnati played against the NFC East in 2024, and the 17th opponent has to come from the division which was on the rotation from two seasons ago in the opposite conference.
These are just the opponents the Bengals will play against. The order of the games will be announced some time in the spring, most likely in May when the 2026 NFL schedule is revealed.
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