The Bengals are getting a little creative in the offseason conversation, and one of the more eye-catching ideas floating around is a World Cup-style NFL playoff bracket that maps out how Cincinnati might stack up in a 2027 Super Bowl prediction model.
It’s a playful exercise, but it gives Bengals fans something to chew on: a look at how the model thinks Cincinnati would fare if the league were sorted into a bracket format more familiar to soccer’s biggest stage.
That’s not the only Bengals angle making the rounds. Rookie Landon Robinson is drawing attention for more than just his draft slot, as he tries to win over coaches and make an impact in the community. For a seventh-round pick, that kind of buzz stands out.
There’s also a bigger-picture conversation around the roster itself. One Bengals breakdown argues that the team’s strongest trait is being overlooked, and that the numbers behind the criticism simply do not hold up.
In that discussion, Joe Flacco’s six starts were cited as a useful comparison point: “Flacco’s numbers in his six starts tell a comparable story. He threw for 1,636 yards, 13 touchdown passes, and four interceptions in six starts.
He only won one of those six games, but he was playing with a historically bad defense. Flacco’s reflects Cincinnati’s roster shortcomings far more than any gap in his play.”
On the defensive side, Myles Murphy is being framed as a player with real financial stakes attached to the 2026 season. The key point is simple: if he keeps producing, his next deal could get very expensive.
As Dehner wrote, “Playing at that same level - if not better with Lawrence drawing doubles next to him - would have him hitting the free-agent market with a projected $20 million-plus price tag,” Dehner writes. “If Murphy regresses, however, he likely lands with a prove-it deal.”
The Bengals also shared sad news with the passing of Charles King, one of the original members of the franchise. King, who authored the first defensive touchdown in team history during the third game of that 1968 season, died last week in Selma, Ala. He was 83.
Around the NFL, there was a significant update on Patrick Mahomes’ recovery. The latest read is that it remains too early to know exactly what he’ll look like by Sept. 14, but the expectation is that he will be in the Kansas City lineup for the Chiefs’ Week 1 Monday night matchup with Denver.
The Packers also locked in one of their young defenders, reaching a three-year, $57 million extension with defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. Green Bay selected Wyatt with the No. 28 pick in the 2022 draft and picked up his fifth-year option last year. He was set to make $12.94 million in 2026 before the new deal, which now runs through the 2029 season.
And in a separate league development, ESPN has cut ties with NFL analyst Ryan Clark, with wider layoffs expected Tuesday. The network had planned to make the move Tuesday morning, but after receiving calls about it, decided to inform him during his show so he would not learn online first. Clark’s career line was also noted: 105 games, 101 starts, 557 tackles, 11 interceptions, 45 passes defensed and two forced fumbles.
In Other News...
Bengals Just Got A Chance To Fix Their Biggest Linebacker Problem
The Bengals linebacker room has been a concern for a while, and the issue only looks sharper when you stack the current options against what a contending defense usually needs. Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. have given the staff reasons to keep looking, and with the season moving forward, Cincinnati could use a steadier veteran presence in the middle of the defense.
One possible answer has emerged from Miami, where a linebacker suddenly looks more available after a teammates new deal changed the picture around him. For Cincinnati, the appeal is obvious: a player entering the final year of his contract could bring immediate depth without forcing the Bengals to overcommit long term, which is exactly the kind of move that can help a thin position group without tying the teams hands later. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Gentry Faces A Bengals Reality Check This Summer
Eric Gentry arrived in Cincinnati as the kind of developmental flier teams like to take on a linebacker with rare length and athleticism. The former USC defender went undrafted, but the Bengals still saw enough upside to bring him in and see whether his frame and movement skills can translate to the pro game, even if the early returns point to a long runway.
For Gentry, the summer is going to be about proving he can handle the physical side of the job, from adding functional strength to holding up better against blocks and finishing tackles more consistently. His most obvious route to sticking is on special teams and through preseason versatility, with the Bengals likely to treat him as a long-term project who could eventually grow into more than just a depth piece. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Fans Are Finally Seeing Paycor Stadium's Long Promised Upgrade
A long-promised facelift at Paycor Stadium is finally moving from talk to visible change, with the Bengals unveiling a broad set of upgrades tied to the new lease agreement with Hamilton County. Phase one of the renovation plan is aimed at making game days feel more modern and more comfortable, from refreshed restrooms and concessions to reworked club spaces, a redesigned team shop and other behind-the-scenes improvements that should be noticeable to fans well before the next wave of football and summer events on the riverfront.
The project is also about more than cosmetics. Cincinnati has long treated the stadium district as a key part of The Banks, and the Bengals push to improve the building is meant to keep that area active while giving supporters a better experience inside it. The first phase is expected to be substantially complete before the 2026 season and the Cincinnati Music Festival, but the bigger question now is how much more of the full renovation vision will follow once this initial round is finished. [Read more 🡒]