Bengals 2026 Schedule Release Instant Reactions: Promising back-half, primetime advantage, and full 17-game slate
The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2026 regular season schedule has been officially revealed! Cincinnati will have three primetime games, an international trip, and close the season out with two AFC North matchups.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2026 NFL regular season schedule has been released.
Here’s what Cincinnati’s 17-game schedule looks like for the upcoming season:
Bengals full 2026 regular season schedule
- Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sunday, Sept. 13, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 2: at Houston Texans – Sunday, Sept. 20, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 3: at Pittsburgh Steelers – Sunday, Sept. 27, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 4: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – Sunday, Oct. 4, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 5: at Miami Dolphins – Sunday, Oct. 11, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 6: BYE WEEK
- Week 7: at Baltimore Ravens – Sunday, Oct. 25, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 8: vs. Tennessee Titans – Sunday, Nov. 1, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons – Sunday, Nov. 8, 9:30 a.m. ET
- Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday Night Football) – Sunday, Nov. 15, 8:20 p.m. ET
- Week 11: at Washington Commanders (Monday Night Football) – Monday, Nov. 23, 8:15 p.m. ET
- Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints – Sunday, Nov. 29, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 13: at Cleveland Browns – Sunday, Dec. 6, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Sunday, Dec. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 15: at Carolina Panthers – Sunday, Dec. 20, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts – Saturday, Dec. 26 OR Sunday, Dec. 27
- Week 17: vs. Baltimore Ravens (Thursday Night Football) – Thursday, Dec. 31, 8:15 ET
- Week 18: vs. Cleveland Browns – Saturday, Jan. 9 OR Sunday, Jan. 10
Easier finish on paper
By the looks of it, Cincinnati’s schedule is much harder in the first half compared to the second half.
Games against the Buccaneers, Texans, Jaguars, and Ravens in the first seven weeks is no joke, and the Steelers are always competitive as well.
The final 11 weeks feature just two teams projected to win more than nine games this year. The Chiefs and Baltimore will each be playing in Cincinnati for those games as well.
The Bengals have consistently played their best football the closer they get to the end of the year. Even if some of the projected middling teams are better than expected, Cincy has shown to come ready for the home stretch. The strength of schedule as a whole is quite promising.
What stadiums will the Bengals play in 2026?
The Bengals will play eight home games in Paycor Stadium. Here are the nine venues they will travel to this year, in chronological order:
- Reliant Stadium – Houston, Texas
- Acrisure Stadium – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida
- M&T Bank Stadium – Baltimore, Maryland
- Santiago Bernabéu Stadium – Madrid, Spain
- Northwest Stadium – Summerfield, Maryland
- Huntington Bank Field – Cleveland, Ohio
- Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Indiana
No bye week after international trip
This is rather unfortunate for the Bengals, who play in Madrid, Spain in Week 10 and do not have a bye right afterwards. A Week 11 bye would’ve split up the schedule quite nicely, and obviously given the team needed rest after spending a week overseas before going back to normal.
While it’s been customary for clubs to be off right after playing on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Cincinnati is getting the short end of the stick this year. At least its next game won’t be until the following Sunday instead of an earlier window for slightly more rest time.
Primetime advantage
The Bengals are getting not one, but two home primetime games against AFC North opponents. That aforementioned Sunday night game will be against Pittsburgh, and Week 17 features a Thursday night showdown with Baltimore.
Both games are subject to being flexed by the league, but for now, Cincinnati will be hosting two divisional games under the lights in a single season. It used to be a rarity for the club to have one!
Times are certainly changing.