The Cincinnati Bengals have Joe Burrow and an offense capable of putting up points with anybody, along with a new-look defense, but that wasn’t enough to earn them a spot among FOX Sports’ true Super Bowl contenders.
FOX Sports’ Steven Ruiz ranked seven teams as legitimate championship threats
entering the 2026 season: the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans.Cincinnati was conspicuously absent.
Instead, Ruiz placed the Bengals in a second group of teams that “could sneak into the Super Bowl — but they aren’t winning it.”
“This offense has the potential to reach some serious highs,” Ruiz wrote.
But he questioned whether Cincinnati could finally produce an elite
season.
He added that despite defensive improvement, the unit still appears “mediocre” this year, so his concern centered primarily on Cincinnati’s defense over whether the offense can reach the level many have expected from Burrow and company.
Regardless, Cincinnati comes as one of the more notable omissions. The Bengals remain in FOX Sports’ broader Super Bowl conversation, but they will have to prove they belong in the NFL’s top championship tier once games begin.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals snubbed from 7-team Super Bowl contender list
