The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go oft awry,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!
This pretty much captures the Cincinnati Bengals’ offseason so far. They came away from the first wave of free agency with an edge rusher, a solid safety upgrade, and an aging defensive tackle. It’s not enough—not even close—to avoid picking for need in April’s draft.
As it stands, the plan seems to be counting on Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter to take a step forward in their sophomore
seasons. They’re counting on Jordan Battle fitting in nicely next to Bryan Cook. They’re counting on Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson to pull their weight in a rotation. They’re counting on their young corners to continue developing—and stay healthy. They’re counting on Myles Murphy and/or Shemar Stewart being enough opposite Boye Mafe. Maybe all or some of this stuff happens. But maybe it doesn’t.
They’re counting on a lot.
If more than one or two of those “we hope” scenarios don’t play out, the defense will be right back where it’s been the last two seasons. And if Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and the offense are putting up 30-something points and still losing multiple games in 2026, it’ll be clear the front office hasn’t learned—and maybe never will.
Maybe it works out, though. Maybe they land a stud at No. 10 and nail the second and third rounds. If that happens—and the defense stays healthy—they could be a middle-of-the-road unit. And a mediocre defense paired with this offense could absolutely win a championship.
Otherwise, they’ll need luck. And as far as football in the Queen City goes, luck has been in short supply.
So yeah, the Bengals’ plans—or lack thereof—feel more likely to burn them (and us) than to work out.
And if they don’t, we’ll be left with nothing but grief and pain.
I have a question for you:
What’s the minimum you’d accept from the Bengals in 2026 to feel good about this franchise again?
Is it just making the playoffs? Winning the division?
Is getting back to the postseason enough, or do they need to win a playoff game? More than one?
What would you define as a “successful” 2026 season?
I don’t think “Super Bowl or bust” is fair. Too much has to go right, even if they had nailed every move this offseason.
But I also don’t think it’s unfair to say anything short of a playoff appearance and at least one postseason win would be a disappointment. This offense is too good to settle for less.
What do you think?
Sound off.
I see the bad moon arising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin’
I see bad times today
