The Bengals’ 2026 preseason will give fans an early look at a team trying to clean up a defense that lagged badly a year ago. Cincinnati finished 27th in points allowed per drive in 2025, which pushed the front office to make offseason moves aimed at helping second-year coordinator Al Golden. One of the biggest additions came on the defensive line, where Dexter Lawrence arrived in a trade with the Giants.
On offense, the outlook is much more familiar. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase still give Cincinnati the kind of top-end punch that can carry a serious postseason run when Burrow is healthy.
Tee Higgins and Chase Brown are back as well, giving the Bengals plenty of firepower around their quarterback. The team has reached at least the AFC Championship Game in both seasons Burrow played full playoff runs.
For the preseason, Bengals fans have three chances to watch before the games start counting for real. The first two tune-ups, against the Lions and Bears, will be carried on the Bengals Preseason TV Network, with FOX19 in Cincinnati serving as the anchor. The finale, against the Eagles, will air nationally on CBS.
Every Bengals preseason game in 2026 will also be available to stream live on fubo.
Here’s the full preseason schedule:
Thursday, Aug. 13 vs. Lions, 7 p.m.
ET - Bengals Preseason TV Network, fubo
Saturday, Aug. 22 vs.
Bears, 7 p.m. ET - Bengals Preseason TV Network, fubo
Friday, Aug. 28 at Eagles, 8 p.m. ET - CBS, fubo
Cincinnati’s regular-season slate is also set, opening on Sunday, Sept. 13 at home against the Buccaneers at 1 p.m. on Fox. The Bengals will then play at the Texans on Sept. 20, at the Steelers on Sept. 27, and host the Jaguars on Oct. 4, with those games all listed for 1 p.m. starts and available on CBS. A trip to Miami follows on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. on Fox.
After a bye in Week 6, Cincinnati returns on Oct. 25 at the Ravens, then hosts the Titans on Nov. 1.
The Bengals’ Nov. 8 game against the Falcons in Madrid is set for 9:30 a.m. on NFL Network. A Sunday night home game against the Steelers comes Nov. 15 at 8:20 p.m. on NBC, before a Monday night visit to the Commanders on Nov. 23 at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN.
The rest of the schedule includes home dates with the Saints, Chiefs, and Ravens, plus road games at the Browns and Panthers. The Bengals also have two TBD matchups listed, including a road game at the Colts and a home game against the Browns to close the regular season.
In Other News...
Chase Brown Just Became A Much Tougher Bengals Decision
Bijan Robinsons new deal with Atlanta just reset the market for running backs in a big way, and that kind of ripple effect is hard for Cincinnati to ignore. The Bengals have already done some cap work by restructuring Joe Burrows contract, but even with that breathing room, the franchise is still staring at a familiar kind of roster math: which core pieces get paid, and which positions have to wait.
For Chase Brown, the timing makes his future more complicated than it was a week ago. He is still on a smaller contract and has not landed a long-term extension, but the price tag on elite running backs keeps climbing while Cincinnati sorts through a limited amount of flexibility and a growing list of priorities. Browns case is still open, and the way the Bengals answer it could say plenty about how they plan to build around Burrow moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have A Chance To Silence One Brutal Zac Taylor Debate
The Bengals head into Week 1 with a chance to start changing the conversation around Zac Taylor, and the setup is unusually favorable. Tampa Bay is dealing with its own distractions, including Vita Veas trade demands and Baker Mayfields contract situation, while Cincinnati arrives with a roster that still looks built to make noise on both sides of the ball.
There is plenty of confidence in the Bengals receiving tandem of JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins, and the addition of Dexter Lawrence only adds to the sense that this team has real upside. Even with the betting line holding steady through all of the chatter, the opener offers a clean stage for Cincinnati to answer a debate that has lingered around Taylor for a long time, even if the final verdict still has to wait. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Camp Battles That Could Decide More Than Final Roster Spots
Training camp has opened in Cincinnati, and the early days are already carrying the feel of a roster audit. The Bengals are sorting through a handful of jobs that may not draw the same attention as the headline starters, but could end up shaping the depth and special teams backbone of the team once the 53-man roster is set.
The fourth cornerback spot, backup guard, backup tight end, and the fourth safety job are all in play, and those competitions tend to tell a lot about how a team wants to build itself for September. For the Bengals, this is the kind of camp business that can quietly decide who stays prepared for injuries, who helps on special teams, and who gets squeezed out when the cuts start coming. [Read more 🡒]