Bengals are top 10 in excitement factor ranking entering the 2026 season

The NFL season is here, and the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to make some noise and bounce back after a rough 2025-25 season. With a revamped defense and healthy Joe Burrow, things could be looking up, but there are still some question marks.

That is what makes this team so intriguing as the fans and media alike try to figure out how this season plays out for the Bengals. ESPN recently ranked all 32-teams on watchability and excitement, and the team came in at No. 7 overall.

"You know what's fun to watch? High stakes. And stakes are higher nowhere else than in Cincinnati this season. Doesn't every single game feel like a referendum on something or somebody in Cincinnati? Will every loss come with questions about the internal relationships of coach Zac Taylor, quarterback Joe Burrow, and Bengals ownership? Won't every win come with a sigh of relief and validation that the Bengals are finally healthy, balanced and ready to win it all?" Ben Solak of ESPN writes. "The defense does need to be better, though. Bad defense can improve watchability rankings (read: create shootouts), but terrible defense is so repugnant that I end up clicking away in disgust. The Bengals started to round that critical corner last season, and in the early weeks of the season, I'll be glued to the tube to see whether Dexter Lawrence II looks as healthy and impactful as they need him to be."

As we all know, this season will really come down to the defense. Can they get enough stops so the offense can shine and not get into 50-point shootouts? Or will we be watching first to 60 wins?