Stat of the Jay: How Many Teams Have Longer International Droughts Than the Bengals at 6 Seasons?

CINCINNATI – The NFL announced the matchups for six of the seven international games, and, as reported earlier, the Cincinnati Bengals are not among the teams traveling outside of the United States in 2025.

But the list has a tangential effect on the Bengals.

Two of the teams playing outside the United States are ending droughts that are longer than the Bengals’ span of six consecutive seasons without an international game.

 The Washington Commanders, who will the Miami Dolphins’ opponent in Spain – the game many thought the Bengals could be a part of – haven’t played internationally since facing Cincinnati in London in 2016.

And the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the last team to make an international appearance when they face the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland.

That means the Bengals, who have played internationally since facing the Los Angeles Rams in London in 2019, are tied for the league’s third longest drought.

Only the Dallas Cowboys (2014) and Detroit Lions (2015) have waited longer.

The NFL has yet to announce the Los Angeles Chargers’ opponent for their game in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

But the Chargers are not scheduled to play a home game against the Cowboys or Lions this year, so the Bengals will remain locked into the third-longest drought until at least 2026.

Technically, the Bengals have the fourth longest drought.

The Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans also haven’t played internationally since 2019.

The Texans played the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9 that season, one week after the Bengals-Rams game.

But the Raiders squared off against the Chicago Bears in Week 5, so they have waited three weeks longer than the Bengals.

Technicalities aside, fans should expect the Bengals to play an international game in 2026 or 2027. They would be the road team in 2026 or a home team in 2027.