The Cincinnati Bengals enter the 2026 season with a schedule that includes three primetime spotlights, a trip to Madrid, and a December stretch that could decide their playoff fate. Cincinnati’s 17-game slate opens at home against Tampa Bay on Sept. 13 before moving into back-to-back road dates at Houston and Pittsburgh before the bye arrives following an Oct. 11 trip to Miami.
- Sep 13, 1:00 PM — vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Home)
- Sep 20, 1:00 PM — at Houston Texans
- Sep 27, 1:00 PM — at Pittsburgh Steelers
- Oct 4, 1:00 PM — vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Home)
- Oct 11, 1:00 PM — at Miami Dolphins
The full schedule became official with the NFL's annual release on Thursday, and several dates immediately stand out as circle-worthy matchups on Cincinnati's calendar.
The most unique entry is Nov. 8, when the Bengals travel to Madrid for a 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff against the Atlanta Falcons. International games always present unique challenges for players. Body clocks, travel recovery, and a different prep week are all things to navigate. While each win is important, the result of this contest may matter less than how the team responds the following two weeks.
The weeks post-Madrid are where the schedule starts featuring some marquee matchups. A Sunday Night Football date at Paycor Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 15 leads into a Monday Night Football trip to Washington on Nov. 23.
- Oct 25, 1:00 PM — at Baltimore Ravens
- Nov 1, 1:00 PM — vs. Tennessee Titans (Home)
- Nov 8, 9:30 AM — vs. Atlanta Falcons (International — Madrid)
- Nov 15, 8:20 PM — vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Home, SNF)
- Nov 23, 8:15 PM — at Washington Commanders (MNF)
The closing month is where the season could very well be defined. Sprinkled into the December slate is a home date against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 13 in the 4:25 p.m. window.
What follows is perhaps the most pivotal stretch on the schedule. Cincinnati plays the Cleveland Browns twice over its final four games, with a Thursday Night Football showdown against the Baltimore Ravens on New Year's Eve sandwiched in between. Three AFC North games in a four-week span, all with potential playoff implications, could certainly define how the Bengals' year ends.
- Nov 29, 1:00 PM — vs. New Orleans Saints (Home)
- Dec 6, 1:00 PM — at Cleveland Browns
- Dec 13, 4:25 PM — vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Home)
- Dec 20, 1:00 PM — at Carolina Panthers
- Dec 26 or 27, TBD — at Indianapolis Colts
- Dec 31, 8:15 PM — vs. Baltimore Ravens (Home)
- Jan 9 or 10, TBD — vs. Cleveland Browns (Home)
While the schedule offers a manageable opening and a window to build momentum, the Bengals' season will almost certainly come down to how they handle a December that features three division opponents and a Chiefs matchup inside a five-week span.