The Cincinnati Bengals are yet to win a Super Bowl, but an ESPN analyst is optimistic about the franchise heading into the 2026 season. The latest discussion regarding the Super Bowl going to the AFC franchise drew online criticism. Many fans have rejected the analyst's take.

"The Bengals seem to be in a stable situation, and [Joe] Burrow being on site there at minicamp, there's a lot of reason to be optimistic about the Bengals right now," said ESPN's Peter Schrager on the Get Up podcast on May 18.

Cincinnati has an all-time regular-season record of 409 wins, 490 losses, and five ties. They appeared three times for the Super Bowl but failed to win the championship. After a 33-year drought, Burrow led a dramatic playoff run in 2021 to reach the Super Bowl LVI but lost against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cincinnati Bengals have gone three consecutive seasons without making the playoffs, so securing a postseason berth in 2026 will be one of the organization’s primary goals.

The analyst sees hope as they made several major moves during the offseason. The Bengals brought in Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook as free agents while also pulling off a blockbuster trade for Dexter Lawrence II by sending the No. 10 overall pick to the New York Giants.

Still, the AFC remains brutal. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills dominate expectations, making it difficult for fans to buy offseason projections without solid improvements on the field.

Fans Call Out ESPN For Seeing Bengals as Super Bowl Contender

Many of the fans questioned why the Bengals were being elevated into the Super Bowl tier before proving they could compete against top AFC contenders.

"Bengals won't make the playoffs, and Burrows will have a season-ending injury again," said a fan. The fan questions the Bengals' performance when there are the Kansas City Chiefs, who won nine playoff games in the previous three years.

Another fan pointed to Burrow's history with injury. "A team with no defense and a fragile QB… no shot in h***," commented another fan. The quarterback has been missing games to injury, and last season was limited to eight games after a Grade 3 turf toe injury.

Another fan did not question the Bengals' capability but questioned their decision. "The same team that let Hendrickson walk?" he wrote. Leaving out Trey Hendrickson will come off as costly for Cincinnati, according to another fan, as it weakens Cincinnati's pass rush.

However, positive reactions dropped in too as a fan pointed out how the Bengals have weapons to lead them to a Super Bowl berth. "The Bengals have quarterback, the weapons, and a favorable division. The hype is real," read the comment.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are weapons of Bengal, the most feared passing attacks capable of opposing secondary units.

What do you think of Cincinnati's Super Bowl chances this season? Share your thoughts.

Read more at Cincinnati Bengals Community.

Written by

Hetal Moleshri

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar