NFL executive gives Bengals fans the cold shoulder about their biggest complaint with Cincinnati's 2025 schedule
Fans of the Cincinnati Bengals not only want to see more primetime games played in Paycor Stadium, they aren't too fond of their team playing another Thursday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens on the road.This will be the third season in a row Cincinnati will travel to Baltimore on a short week to […]
Fans of the Cincinnati Bengals not only want to see more primetime games played in Paycor Stadium, they aren't too fond of their team playing another Thursday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens on the road.
This will be the third season in a row Cincinnati will travel to Baltimore on a short week to play a grueling AFC North matchup in a hostile, primetime environment. It's the fourth consecutive year the Bengals play under the shining lights at M&T Bank Stadium. They're 0-3 in those previous games.
It's very much a trend in the wrong direction for the Bengals, and while an executive responsible for putting together the schedule realizes it, he doesn't see it as a problem that needed to be solved this year.
Mike North, the NFL's vice president of broadcast planning & scheduling, recognizes Cincinnati's frustration about another TNF game in the Charm City, but stands by the decision as it made the most sense for the entire league-wide slate.
And if the fans are upset, well, that's too bad.
"It just ended up as we got down the stretch here, that this was our best schedule, and fully acknowledging that, I'm sure the Bengals fans are a little surprised and probably a little disappointed," North told Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson. "Which puts them in the same category as all 31 other teams. Everybody is just a little disappointed in the schedule makers."
Ouch. North filing complaints from Bengals fans together with grievances from everywhere else around the league certainly leaves a mark for those in Cincinnati.
The Bengals do get to host an AFC North rival in the Pittsburgh Steelers for a TNF game about a month before playing the Ravens on Thanksgiving evening, so the cards weren't completely stacked against them this time around. It just may be another year or two before they find themselves in Baltimore while the sun is still out.
"When trends like that emerge, we probably have to adjust at some point," North said.
Just not this year, apparently.
This will surely be a topic during the process of making the 2026 schedule. Cincinnati will need to ensure its complaints are heard even louder next time around so another short week trip to Baltimore does not happen again for some time.
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