Adam Schefter Doubles Down on Bold Bengals Prediction on Pat McAfee Show

Aug 1, 2026, 12:32 PM CUT

CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 14: A Cincinnati Bengals helmet sits on the bench during the game against the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals on December 14, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA DEC 14 Ravens at Bengals EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon251214108

Last season's disappointment isn't enough to shake Adam Schefter's confidence in the Cincinnati Bengals. Instead, the ESPN insider has doubled down on his belief that the Bengals will emerge as one of the NFL's surprise playoff teams in 2026.

"I won't be surprised when we're talking in December and January, if we're talking about whether the Saints and Bengals can lock up their playoff spots," Schefter stated on the Pat McAfee Show on July 31.

This isn't the first time Schefter has shared his faith in the Bengals despite the team's playoff drought in 2025, when fans witnessed one of the worst defenses in team history ranked at 32nd.

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt (57) celebrates an interception in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 17 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. The Bengals took a 30-24 win in overtime to remain in the post season chase.

Speaking with ESPN's Get Up, Schefter remarked in June: "It is set up for Bengals to have a big year, and for them to be a dangerous team." However, his predictions are not made on a whim.

The Bengals have significantly reshaped their roster for the upcoming year. They made bold acquisitions along the defensive line, including DT Jonathan Allen, OL Boye Mafe, and safety Bryan Cook.

But Schefter believes someone else will play a more central role in their bounce-back campaign: Dexter Lawrence.

"I think that Dexter Lawrence brings a certain element of talent and leadership to that lineup," Schefter shared on the Pat McAfee Show, praising the former New York Giants defensive tackle who was traded to the Bengals for a No. 10 pick.

Clearly, head coach Zac Taylor has changed the face of the team's defense. Yet, there's a more statistical undercurrent to Schefter's claims.

Adam Schefter believes history favors the Bengals

Both Adam Schefter's instinct and the NFL's annual playoff churn seem to point in the same direction. And the Senior NFL Insider was sure to note that in the same podcast.

"There have been at least four new teams, at least four, that have made the NFL playoffs every single year for the last thirty-six seasons," Schefter told Pat McAfee in the same episode.

That claim is well supported by major news outlets, including the NY Times, which reported 5-7 new teams in a 2023 article. If the pattern holds, Cincinnati's talent upgrade positions them as one of this year's four new entrants.

This instantly increases the odds for the Cincinnati Bengals. Drawing parallels to the New Orleans Saints, which suffered a similarly disappointing fate in 2025, Schefter has named the two more underrated playoff additions this season.

He believes both teams have the talent and roster in place for an impressive run, and stats seem to agree, too.

Can the upgraded roster help the Cincinnati Bengals reach the playoffs this year? Let us know!

Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Rudra Dubey