Bengals Projected to Finish With Disappointing 2025 Season in Full-League Projection

 USA Today's Nate Davis broke down the full 2025 NFL season earlier this week with wins and playoff result projections for each team. He is not high on the Bengals this fall, but does have them sneaking into the AFC playoffs as the seventh and final seed.

All in all, he has Cincinnati starting slow again and finishing 9-8 overall, a third-place result in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens (14-3) and Pittsburgh Steelers (11-6).

"Since QB Joe Burrow was drafted in 2020, they’re 1-9 collectively in Weeks 1 and 2 – the lone win coming in 2021, when Cincy reached Super Bowl 56," Davis stated. "The ongoing drama with All-Pro DE Trey Hendrickson seems to portend another rough start – and the Bengals open at Cleveland, where they rarely win, followed by a stretch of six games that includes five 2024 playoff opponents. Starting in October, the Bengals leave Ohio once in six weeks, so perhaps that’s when they catch fire. Still, as much money as they’ve already spent this offseason, the Stripes seem to have fallen further behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh, teams that finished ahead of them last season."

The article was much higher on the Steelers than the consensus thoughts around the NFL.

"Optimism is riding high as new/old QB Aaron Rodgers assimilates with his new mates in the sweltering Latrobe, Pennsylvania, camp environment," Davis wrote. "There’s little question this roster is stacked, more so after a bold offseason plan executed by coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan. Whether it coalesces remains to be seen. Five of the Steelers' first six opponents didn’t make the playoffs last year, perhaps a nice layout as Rodgers and Co. work out the kinks, though that stretch also includes a trip to Dublin. But four of the final six games are against 2024 division winners, and Pittsburgh collapsed down the stretch last season against strong competition. Still, it does feel like there’s enough ammo here to end the franchise’s run without a playoff win at nine years."

Davis eventually had Cincinnati lose to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. A third-straight 9-8 record with no playoff wins would leave Cincinnati in the same spot it's finished each of the last two seasons: Watching the Divisional Round at home.

Cincinnati has tried to turn over every stone (other than getting Hendrickson signed already) they can control to start faster in a month. If Burrow can stay healthy through the rest of camp and stack six-plus months of work together, they are primed to get out of the gates quicker. 

Cincinnati will be significant betting favorites over Cleveland in Week 1 if Burrow is under center.