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Season opener in Cleveland, Thanksgiving night appearance, and so much more.
The 2025 schedule for the
Cincinnati Bengals has officially arrived, and it is quite interesting for many different reasons.
The Bengals are set to host one primetime game in the Jungle and will also travel for three primetime matchups.
Yet again, Cincinnati is shunned by the NFL scheduling team for primetime home games but will see the Ravens in Baltimore under the lights for the 500th year in a row (slight exaggeration, maybe).
Let’s take a look at the good, bad, and ugly for the upcoming season...
The Good
Cincinnati has an opportunity to open the season with a divisional win on the road against Cleveland.
Before you pounce at that, yes, the Bengals have been flat-out horrible to start the past few seasons, but the urgency will be there this year after they missed the playoffs in 2024 because of it.
Plus, this is a chance for the Bengals to start their AFC North record off with a win as well.
Paycor Stadium will then host a sold-out crowd to kick off the home slate, with the
Jacksonville Jaguars coming to town.
This will likely be an offensive showdown with Trevor Lawrence, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Hunter visiting.
The Bengals also have a favorable bye week (Week 10) this season. It is almost right in the middle of the schedule, giving the team a breather before the back half of the season.
Cincinnati will also have three straight home games in Weeks 7-9, hosting the
Steelers on Thursday Night Football, then the Jets, followed by the Bears. That will then lead them directly into the bye week.
The team will also close the regular season out with back-to-back home games, hosting the Cardinals and
Browns.
And, of course, the Bengals will be on every television Thanksgiving night against the Ravens!
Does it suck that it is on the road for a major holiday? Yes, but hey, we get to watch Joe Burrow play football that day. I will be thankful for it!
The Bad
Well, it is no secret the NFL scheduling crew does no favors for the city of Cincinnati.
The Bengals will be on the road for three of the first four weeks of the season.
Cincinnati will visit Cleveland in Week 1, Minnesota in Week 3, and Denver in Week 4.
That is a tough stretch for a team that has struggled to get the engine going early in the season...
The month of November and early December will also be challenging this season, but the Bengals have been stellar in that time since drafting Joe Burrow, so that is a positive.
The Bengals will have three road games in four games again... This time, the stakes will likely be much higher than earlier in the season.
Cincinnati will head to Pittsburgh on Week 11 (Nov. 16), Baltimore on Week 13 (Thanksgiving night), and then Buffalo on Week 14 (Dec. 7).
The Ugly
The first thing I see when looking at the new schedule is Weeks 13-15...
Yes, it is going to be so much fun to see the Bengals on Thanksgiving this year, but that three-week stretch is borderline insanity for Cincinnati.
Joe Burrow and company will see the Ravens twice in three weeks with a trip to Buffalo tucked in between those AFC North matchups.
That is arguably the ugliest three-week stretch I have seen the Bengals have to play in quite some time.
I have said it numerous times, and I will say it again: The lack of respect for Paycor Stadium and the city of Cincinnati on primetime television is ugly.
Three incredibly marketable players with a stadium opposing teams who hate to play will only see the shining lights once this season... On Thursday Night. Ugly.
Anyway, the season is almost here, and we are all ready to see the Bengals back in action.
And there is one more good thing that remains, when Joe Burrow is suited up for Cincinnati, there is always a good chance the Bengals will win.
WHO DEY!
