Bengals coach Zac Taylor will be entering his eighth season as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. We already knew the Bengals would face new coaches in the AFC North, but there are other opponents with new head coaches leading their franchises this season.
Week 3 will feature one of the new divisional coaches in Pittsburgh. Mike McCarthy takes over for Mike Tomlin in 2026. McCarthy recently finished a 5-year stint with the Cowboys, going 49-35 during his time in Dallas.
In Week 5, the Bengals will
face off against the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins hired Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. This will be Hafley’s first time as a head coach in the NFL.
After a bye in Week 6, the Bengals will travel to Baltimore for Week 7. They will be facing first-time head coach Jesse Minter. Minter was most recently the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.
In Week 8, the Bengals will welcome the Tennessee Titans to Paycor Stadium. The Titans hired Robert Salah to be their new head coach after parting ways with former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Salah spent the 2025 season as the defensive coordinator in San Francisco. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the New York Jets.
During Week 9, the Bengals will travel to Madrid to face the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski after he was let go by the Cleveland Browns. Stefanski will be familiar with the Bengals, but still may not have a legitimate starting-caliber quarterback to put on the field against them.
Week 10 will be the second matchup against Mike McCarthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers. This one will take place in Cincinnati. It will be a primetime matchup between the Bengals and Steelers on Sunday Night Football.
