Adam Schein is not backing away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ big talk heading into 2026. If anything, he’s leaning harder into it.
Joe Burrow recently drew a line between this Bengals roster and the LSU team he led to an undefeated season and national championship in 2019, and Schein says that kind of confidence is exactly what Cincinnati needs. The Bengals have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons, but in Schein’s view, Burrow is right to push the standard higher.
“You know what they need in Cincinnati? Pressure and expectations,” Schein said recently.
“He’s raising the bar for everyone with the Cincinnati Bengals. I think Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are winning the division.”
Schein’s belief starts with Burrow and Cincinnati’s offensive core, but he also pointed to the team’s defensive overhaul as a major reason for optimism. He called the Dexter Lawrence trade “unbelievable” and described it as a “monster win” for a team that needed to change the look of that side of the ball.
Lawrence is coming off a down year by his own standards, though he had earned three straight Pro Bowl nods from 2022-24. Cincinnati also added Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, and Bryan Cook, giving Burrow a deeper and more complete roster than he has had in recent seasons.
“Bang the over when it comes to wins,” Schein said. “Make the playoffs?
You bet. And when you start talking about the AFC and winning the Super Bowl, I have the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills playing on Championship Sunday.”
If that happens, it would be Cincinnati’s first AFC Championship Game appearance since the 2022 season. The Bengals still have to get through a division that includes Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, but Schein still sees Burrow as the best quarterback in the AFC North.
“I think Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are the best quarterback and one-two punch at receiver in the entire league,” Schein said. “This is not, to me, even a topic for conversation.”
Health will remain a huge part of the equation, especially after Burrow missed significant time last season. The defense also has to prove that all of its offseason changes can actually translate on the field after years of struggle.
Even with those questions, the Bengals are carrying more talent and depth than they’ve had in recent years. Burrow has embraced the pressure, and Schein thinks Cincinnati is built to handle the expectations that come with it. The only thing left is to see whether the Bengals can live up to the standard they’ve set.
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 🡒]