The Cincinnati Bengals have become one of the more talked-about teams of the offseason, and ESPN insider Adam Schefter believes the rest of the league should take notice.

During a recent appearance on ESPN's Get Up, Schefter pointed to Cincinnati's schedule as one of the reasons the team could be a major factor in the AFC race.

“Let’s remember this: their schedule is about as easy as any schedule in the league. It is set up for the Bengals to have a big year and to be a dangerous team,” said Schefter on Get Up on June 1.

According to ESPN, Cincy has the third-easiest schedule in the league. So, even though they are projected to have a slow start, the team will find itself competing for the AFC North championship.

“Joe Burrow himself has said that this is the best roster that he’s played with in Cincinnati, and if we go back and look, the Bengals did go to a Super Bowl before and nearly won it in Los Angeles with Joe Burrow playing,” said Schefter.

With a healthy Burrow, the Bengals are expected to have one of the league's most productive offenses.

“If Joe Burrow’s healthy, they’re probably going to be playing with a lead a lot of the time," added Schefter. "And if they’re playing with a lead, it takes a lot of pressure off what should be a much-improved defense.”

With major additions such as Dexter Lawrence and growing optimism around the roster, the Bengals continue to grow buzz as the 2026 season approaches.

Joe Burrow Believes Bengals Have What They Need

After Cincinnati added several experienced players in free agency and completed a blockbuster trade, including Bryan Cook, Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, Kyle Dugger, and traded for All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, Burrow believes that the team has answered the call.

“The front office has taken a lot of heat from the fans, the public, and the media. We can put all of that behind us," said Burrow in May. “They went and made it happen with free agency. And then obviously with Dexter (Lawrence, making a trade like that, that doesn’t happen a ton in the NFL, so it’s exciting to see.”

Burrow had also expressed confidence in what the Bengals can accomplish moving forward.

“We’ve got everything we need in that locker room. We just have to go make it happen. We’re gonna win a lot of games this year and play great and win the Super Bowl,” added Burrow.

With a revamped roster and expectations rising, Cincinnati enters the 2026 season believing it has the pieces to compete at the highest level.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at the Cincinnati Bengals Community!

Written by

Debanjali Rakshit

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore