The Bengals’ offensive core has landed at the top of the NFL’s latest “Triplets” rankings, and the case starts with the obvious: Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase remain one of the league’s most dangerous quarterback-receiver pairings. In fact, the only other duo that really stacks up is Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua.
What pushes Cincinnati over the top, though, is Chase Brown. His rise as a quality running back gave the Bengals the edge in a category built around quarterback, wide receiver and running back.
That said, there’s an argument that the “Triplets” label actually undersells Cincinnati. If the ranking were simply the best three offensive players, Tee Higgins would slide in for Brown, and the Bengals’ grip on No. 1 would look even stronger.
That top billing held up in the 2026 NFL “Triplets” rankings, where the Bengals reclaimed the No. 1 spot last year and stayed there this season with seven of the nine first-place votes. Burrow’s injury absence wasn’t enough to knock them off the perch. His play, the Burrow-Chase connection and Brown’s emergence as a dependable back in nearly every situation - except when Jake Browning is under center - all helped keep Cincinnati in front.
Brown also made his own case for why the Bengals are viewed so highly. He said, “I really think - and I say this confidently - I really feel like we got the best pass protection unit in the NFL,” Brown said. “There isn’t a lot of groups that could come do what we do on a week-to-week basis and have the success that we’ve had, especially with the circumstances.”
There’s plenty else swirling around Bengals news, too. Netflix’s “Quarterback” Season Three is now streaming, with Joe Flacco among the four quarterbacks featured across the 2025 NFL season. The series follows Flacco, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, Tennessee Titans rookie Cam Ward and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, giving viewers access to key moments and behind-the-scenes looks at the position.
Burrow remains a central part of the Bengals conversation beyond the rankings as well. One report focused on a training camp tweak the team could actually afford to make now, noting the quarterback’s rough history in camp, including the knee injury that marked his second season, the appendix issue and a tweaked calf.
And Flacco himself had something to say about a hit from T.J. Watt in the Bengals-Steelers game.
“Man, he f---ed me up,” Flacco said of Watt’s hit. “He knew what he was doing, too.
He was like, ‘I’ve got a chance to hit him here. I’m gonna take full advantage.
… But that’s football. That’s the Steelers defense.”
The Bengals also drew attention for a marquee free-agent addition on defense, with questions already being raised around the move. Cincinnati addressed safety by bringing in two-time Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl champ Bryan Cook, a Cincinnati native, who is now wearing Bengals stripes.
In Other News...
Bengals Are Bringing Back A Gameday Tradition Fans Now Dread
The Bengals are rolling out their 2026 theme games, and the first one on the list is a familiar orange-heavy kickoff for the home opener on Sept. 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Open in Orange is back for a third straight season, giving fans another early chance to turn Paycor Stadium into a wall of team color as Cincinnati opens its home slate.
More theme-game announcements are expected to follow, including Stripe The Jungle and White Bengal, two of the clubs more recognizable game-day looks. For a fan base that has seen these traditions become part of the home schedule, the reveal is less about novelty than anticipation, with the opener again setting the tone for how the Bengals want the stadium to feel from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Orlando Brown Jr. Just Fueled Bengals Hype Around One Rookie
The Bengals used a second-round pick on Cashius Howell and have spent the offseason talking up the Texas A&M edge rushers work ethic and upside. In practices, he has already shown enough to draw attention from teammates, and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has been among the veterans publicly encouraged by what he has seen from the rookie.
Browns praise matters because Howell is not just learning one role. Cincinnati has been cross-training him as an occasional off-ball linebacker to help with a roster need, which adds another layer to a rookie already trying to carve out playing time on a crowded defense. For a team looking for immediate value from its draft class, Howells early progress has become one of the more interesting developments of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengals QB Jake Browning Already Facing An Unexpected Threat
Jake Brownings move this offseason gave him a fresh start and a chance to compete for a backup quarterback job in Tampa Bay, where his experience should count for plenty early in the process. For a player who spent time developing behind the scenes in Cincinnati, landing in a new quarterback room was supposed to be an opportunity to settle in and show he could be a steady hand if called upon.
The early challenge, though, has come from an undrafted rookie who has turned heads during preseason work and made the depth chart look a little less settled than it seemed at first. Browning still has the edge that comes with having been around the league longer, but the final roster picture is not locked in, and how the rest of camp unfolds could determine whether that experience is enough. [Read more 🡒]