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The Bengals landed on No. 16 in ESPN’s power rankings
After a disappointing 6-11 season, the Cincinnati Bengals did not make any major changes. Team president Mike Brown released a statement in which he confirmed that head coach Zac Taylor and general manager Duke Tobin would be retained by the organization next season. In the statement Brown said he believed those two men were the right people to lead the Bengals into the future as they have proven to be able to build and lead teams that compete for championships.
While the Bengals can blame injuries for their lack of success in 2025, as they missed Joe Burrow and Trey Hendrickson for most of the season, ESPN does not view them as close to contention.
Cincinnati Bengals Ranked No. 16 in Latest Power Rankings
Despite Mike Brown believing the Bengals can achieve championship contention, ESPN’s power rankings after the season do not seem to agree. They were ranked No. 16 following their 6-11 season.
Regarding the Bengals offseason, ESPN gave them a three-word message, which said, “Improve the defense.” ESPN’s Bengals writer Ben Baby then expanded on that message, saying, “Cincinnati failed in its attempt to fix the defense. After a rough 2024 season, it actually got worse in 2025. The Bengals finished 27th in points allowed per drive (down from 26th the previous season). The Bengals need playmakers at each level, and defensive coordinator Al Golden needs to continue developing ascending players, such as defensive end Myles Murphy and cornerback DJ Turner II. Cincinnati cannot be passive in free agency when it comes to adding impactful players to the defense.”
The Bengals defense has been under scrutiny for the past two seasons. In 2024, the Bengals defense struggled and it resulted in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo getting fired. Despite the firing, the defense got worse under new defensive coordinator Al Golden in 2025, as they allowed the third-most points in the NFL. Head coach Zac Taylor opted to retain Golden in 2026, hoping for improvement in his second year.
Possible Additions to the Bengals
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has made it clear he expects more from the organization. After winning the National Championship with LSU in 2019, he made the Super Bowl in his second year and the AFC Championship in his third. He’s accustomed to winning, and during the season he expressed frustration about the team’s performance, prompting speculation that he might want out of Cincinnati. Ultimately, Burrow explained that his comments did not mean he no longer wanted to be on the team, just frustrations over the losing season.
However, his comments did seem to have ramifications for Cincinnati as IanRapoport reported his comments may lead the team to be more aggressive this offseason. He said, “I do expect the Bengals to take his words and kind of use it to spur them on a little bit to really spend this offseason. I expect the Bengals to enhance and support everything Joe Burrow does.” Rapoport added that he expected the additions to come on the Bengals defense.
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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