Cincinnati Bengals: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Bengals 2026 opponents revealed, and the stars aligned for a matchup against their playoff rival

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.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Bengals Offensive Lineman Named To NFL All-Rookie Team Projection

ESPN's Ben Solak released his NFL All-Rookie teams this week, and Bengals guard Dylan Fairchild just made the cut as a second-team left guard selection behind Seattle's Grey Zabel.

Cincinnati Bengals News / Last Word On Sports / December 30

It’s Time to Add Two More Bengals to The Hall of Fame

As the calendar turns to 2026, there are currently two players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame from the Cincinnati Bengals: Anthony Muñoz (class of 1998) and Ken Riley (class of 2023).

Cincinnati Bengals News / Cincinnati Bengals on SI / December 30

Zac Taylor Explains Why Joe Burrow, Starters Will Play in Season Finale vs. Browns

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor didn't flinch when asked about Joe Burrow playing in Sunday's season finale against the Browns. "Yes," he said just minutes after Cincinnati beat Arizona to improve to 6-10 on the season.

Derrick Henry News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Top-50 all-time NFL rushers' quiz

How many of the 50 NFL players with the most career rushing yards can you name in six minutes?

The '100-rushing-yard NFL games' quiz

The 'NFL TD-catch leaders by season' quiz

The 'Most 1K-rushing-yard NFL seasons' quiz

Shemar Stewart News / Cincinnati Bengals on SI / December 30

Shemar Stewart Showing Signs of Growth After 'Amazing' First NFL Sack

The Bengals' 2025 first-round pick is finding some consistency down the stretch of the 2025 season. Defensive end Shemar Stewart fought ankle and knee injuries throughout much of this campaign to only suit up for seven total games thus far, but he's been impactful when fully healthy.

NFL News / Yardbarker

The best passing performances from one NFL playoff run

Rule changes have made passing numbers easier to compile in the modern era, and the game's top quarterbacks have taken full advantage. While the heaviest hitters are represented here, some storied postseasons by slightly lesser-celebrated QBs remain entrenched in playoff annals as well.

Cincinnati Bengals News / Last Word On Sports / December 30

One Last Bengals Mock Draft Before the New Year

With only one game left on the Cincinnati Bengals’ schedule, we are getting a really good idea of where the team will pick in next year’s draft. As of now, the Bengals are 6-10 and picking 10th.

Joe Burrow News / A to Z Sports / December 30

Joe Burrow reaches a Bengals record significantly quicker compared to how long it took his predecessor to set it

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow only played three quarters of football in Cincinnati's Week 17 win over the Arizona Cardinals, but he still managed to eclipsed 300 passing yards.

Cincinnati Bengals News / Cincinnati Bengals on SI / December 30

Former Bengals Legend Officially Announced as 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalist

Willie Anderson is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once again this cycle. The former right tackle is part of a 15-name modern group that also adds five senior era names (including Bengals legend Ken Anderson) to round out the 20 total finalists that could get inducted this coming August.

Geno Stone News / Cincinnati Bengals on SI / December 30

Al Golden’s Geno Stone Comments Look Worse Than They Actually Are

Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden gave veteran safety Geno Stone plenty of credit for Cincinnati's success on defense in recent weeks. The veteran

Cincinnati Bengals News / A to Z Sports / December 30

Bengals' Round 1 spot in 2026 NFL Draft order comes down to a few key outcomes out of their control

The upcoming NFL playoffs will not impact the Cincinnati Bengals' placement in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Bengals have been eliminated from postseason contention since Week 15, and like 17 other clubs, Week 18 will reveal where in the initial draft order they will land.

Cincinnati Bengals News / Cincinnati Bengals on SI / December 30

Cincinnati Bengals Select Popular Fit In Recent 2026 Mock Draft

Pro Football Focus writer Dalton Wasserman dropped a fresh mock draft this week as the NFL regular season gets ready for its final games. He slotted the Bengals with Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey at Pick 10.

NFL News / Yardbarker

Looking back at every NFL Christmas Day game

For years, Thanksgiving belonged to the NFL, but Christmas belonged to the NBA. Occasionally, an NFL game would fall on Christmas, but it was anomalous, even avoided if possible.

Joe Burrow News / Viral Sports News / December 29

Bengals, Joe Burrow Trade Rumors Receive Interesting Update

Although it’s considered highly improbable, any offseason deal sending Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to another team could rank among the most monumental exchanges in NFL annals, comparable to the massive NBA swap involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis earlier this year in February.

Cincinnati Bengals News / A to Z Sports / December 29

Bengals switching Dax Hill's position one last time is paying huge dividends for both parties

The conversation surrounding Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Dax Hill has always revolved around where he's supposed to go, not where he is. Hill was first was a safety backing up Jessie Bates III in 2022.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Top-50 all-time NFL rushers' quiz

The 'Most NFL pass completions' quiz

The 'NBA Christmas Day triple-doubles' quiz

The 'NFL rookie QBs to win a playoff game' quiz

Joe Burrow News / Field Level Media / December 29

Bengals QB Joe Burrow to play in season finale vs. Browns

Joe Burrow is in the game plan for the Cincinnati Bengals in the regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns, head coach Zac Taylor said Monday.

Shemar Stewart News / NFL on ClutchPoints / December 29

Bengals’ Al Golden pokes fun at Shemar Stewart after 1st-career sack

It seems that Myles Garrett is the problem Cincinnati can’t ignore heading into Week 18, and Zac Taylor didn’t bother dancing around it. With Garrett one

Cincinnati Bengals News / NFL on ClutchPoints / December 29

Bengals’ Zac Taylor calls Myles Garrett the best player in the NFL before final sack record push

It’s been a lost season for the Cincinnati Bengals, who still sit at 6-10 despite a recent home win over the Arizona Cardinals. As has typically been the

Zac Taylor News / Cincinnati Bengals on SI / December 29

Zac Taylor Dives Into What Matters For Bengals In Final Week of 2025 Season

The final week of the 2025 season is here for the Cincinnati Bengals. Zac Taylor met with the media on Monday and dove into the top goal he has for his team in the closing days of a non-playoff season.

Joe Burrow News / NFLTradeRumors.co / December 29

Joe Burrow Will Play In Week 18

Bengals HC Zac Taylor announced Monday that Joe Burrow will play against the Browns in Week 18, even though the team’s season has been over for weeks now.

Cincinnati Bengals News / Cincinnati Bengals on SI / December 29

Bengals Defense Growing In Key Statistical Areas To Close 2025 Season

What a flip of the script by the Bengals defense. Al Golden's unit was on pace to be the worst DVOA defense in the history of the metric (started in 1978) a little past the midway point of the season, but they've completely turned that around over the last six weeks of play.

Cincinnati Bengals News / A to Z Sports / December 29

Bengals Week 17 Snap Counts: Veteran defender sees his role dramatically decrease out of nowhere

The Cincinnati Bengals notched another blowout victory with a 37-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17. Cincinnati expanded its 16-point lead at the half to a 30-point lead entering the fourth quarter, so for the second week in a row, the reserves on both sides of the ball helped closed out the game.