Former Cincinnati Bengals Legend Chad Ochocinco Makes 2026 Super Bowl Pick

NFL Free Agency is underway before the 2026 season, and the Cincinnati Bengals are gearing up to make a playoff push. General manager Duke Tobin has been active in contract negotiations, already making several key signings and re-signing or extending starters who are set to make a significant impact for years to come. 

After reaching the Super Bowl and AFC Championship in 2021 and 2022, the Bengals are looking to get back into contention for postseason football yet again. They have all the tools, led by 2024 Passing Yards Leader Joe Burrow, to have the best offensive unit in the entire NFL, and they are hoping to capitalize on their championship window before it’s too late. 

Joined by 2024 Triple Crown winner Ja’Marr Chase, star wide receiver Tee Higgins, and rising star running back Chase Brown, head coach Zac Taylor has no excuse not to put the offense in the best possible scenario as the primary play caller. He and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher have proven their potential together after a dominant 2024 season for the offense, but they hope that 2026 is the year where it finally starts to translate to wins. 

Legendary Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has not been shy of his public support for his former team, and he continued that display when asked by a fan on X who he thought would win the Super Bowl next season.

“Bengals,” said Ochocinco. 

The past three seasons for the Bengals have not been their most impressive; they have missed the playoffs for three straight years, and multiple new problems have arisen with each new season. Burrow seldom has a negative impact on this franchise, but his lack of availability in 2023 and 2025 proved to be detrimental to the Bengals’ chances of winning. 

Cincinnati’s defense has been the main point of weakness over the past few years, but Tobin and defensive coordinator Al Golden are working to flip the script in 2026. By signing former Seattle Seahawks defensive end Boye Mafe, former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook, and former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, experience and leadership should no longer be a problem for a young, striving Bengals defense. 

Adding three Super Bowl wins from Mafe and Cook to match a Pro Bowler with nine years of experience will allow for better on-field adjustments and play calling. This offseason, these three will help continue the progression of young players on the roster to help push this defense from the bottom to the top. Whether Ochocinco is valid in calling the Bengals way-too-early Super Bowl champions or not is to be determined, but this offseason is undoubtedly the most important in recent memory for the franchise.