The Cincinnati Bengals open training camp in one week, and optimism surrounding this roster sits at a level the franchise hasn’t experienced in years.

Grok, the AI developed by X (formerly known as Twitter), apparently agrees. I asked Grok to simulate the Bengals’ full 2026 season with week-by-week results, individual statistics, awards, and postseason fate.

It produced a dream scenario for the franchise.

As with anything involving artificial intelligence, take the results with a grain of salt. But if you’re feeling a sense of extreme optimism, these projections will only fuel the fire.

Grok’s game-by-game results for the 2026 regular season

Grok has the Bengals finishing 12-5 and winning the AFC North for the first time since 2022. Twelve wins would tie the franchise record for most in a single season. Cincinnati went 12-4 back in 2022 as the season was reduced to 16 games due to Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest in Week 17.

The simulated season doesn’t start smoothly, though. Grok projects Cincinnati to open 1-2 with losses to the Houston Texans in Week 2 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 following a season-opening win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bengals climb back over .500 before their Week 6 bye, and after a loss at the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7, they rattle off six consecutive victories. That stretch includes a 27-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Cincinnati’s first international game in seven years, and back-to-back primetime wins against the Steelers and Washington Commanders in Weeks 10 and 11.

Losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts create a couple of speed bumps late, but the Bengals still win three of their final five games to secure the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoff bracket.

Simulated statistical leaders and accolades won

Grok’s offensive projections are where things get exciting. The Bengals average 28.4 points per game (top five in the NFL) while allowing 21.8 on defense (top 10).

Burrow throws for 4,712 yards, 35 touchdown passes, and 10 interceptions with a 67.5 completion percentage. He earns first-team All-Pro honors and wins NFL MVP for the first time in his career.

Ja’Marr Chase records a league-leading 1,582 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, earning All-Pro recognition for a third consecutive season and winning Offensive Player of the Year for the first time in his career.

Running back Chase Brown makes his first Pro Bowl with 1,248 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 548 receiving yards. Offensive tackle Amarius Mims fulfills his potential as a first-team All-Pro alongside Burrow and Chase.

On top of all the player accolades, Zac Taylor becomes the third Bengals coach in history to win AP Coach of the Year, joining Marvin Lewis (2009), and Paul Brown (1970).

A Super Bowl run nearly 60 years in the making

As the No. 3 seed, the Bengals host the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Chargers in the wild card round and roll to a 35-14 victory. They then host the Bills in the divisional round and win a 30-27 thriller on a game-winning drive by Burrow.

The AFC Championship brings a rematch with Kansas City. Cincinnati wins 27-24 in overtime, matching the exact score of the 2022 AFC Championship that sent the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI.

Grok then sends Cincinnati to SoFi Stadium for Super Bowl LXI against the Philadelphia Eagles, where the Bengals win 28-24 to capture their first Lombardi Trophy in 59 years of existence.

Sky-high vibes are palpable

This is about as good as any simulation could get for a Bengals fan. It’s also precisely the trajectory the organization envisions for this roster.

Burrow did not mince his words last month, saying he feels the same vibes as he felt before the 2019 season at LSU, when the Tigers went undefeated and won the College Football Playoff National Championship.

“Go back and watch what I said before the 2019 season at LSU. I feel very similarly about this team,” Burrow said. “I’m so excited to get started and get moving, and I wish we would ramp this right into training camp, so we can continue to improve, because I feel like there’s so much greatness that we’re going to be able to achieve this year. I’m just excited to get going.”

Grok appears to be of the same mind. Whether the AI projections hold any weight remains to be seen, but the ceiling for this Bengals team is as high as it has ever been heading into training camp.