The Cincinnati Bengals have arguably had the most aggressive offseason of any team in the AFC. After three straight years of missing the playoffs and a historically bad defense that bottomed out at 6-11 in 2025, the front office went all-in on that side of the ball.
The headliner was a blockbuster trade that sent the No. 10 overall pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence. Cincinnati also signed Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, Bryan Cook, and Kyle Dugger in free agency to bolster its defense. However, Nick Wright isn’t convinced that the Bengals belong in the Super Bowl conversation.
Nick Wright Isn’t Sold on Joe Burrow’s Bengals
Burrow surprised many after the final day of mandatory minicamp when he compared the current Bengals roster to his 2019 LSU team, which is widely considered one of the greatest in college football history.
“You can go back and watch press conferences and what I said before the 2019 season at LSU. I feel very similarly about this team,” Burrow told reporters. “I’m so excited to get started and get moving. I wish we ramped this right into training camp so we can continue to improve. I feel like there’s so much greatness that we’re going to be able to achieve this year that I’m just excited to get going.”
Given that the LSU team went 15-0, won a national championship, and produced multiple NFL stars, including Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Derek Stingley Jr., it was as bold a statement as any quarterback has made this offseason. Wright, however, was unmoved by the hype around the Bengals.
“I think a healthy Joe Burrow is a great quarterback,” Wright said. “But I am stunned at how much attention the Cincinnati Bengals get on shows like ours. I understand five years ago they won one game against Kansas City, and I’m very happy for them that they did that. But it has been four years since they have played in a playoff game.”
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“I do like their defensive line additions, I do think that should help them,” he added. “But… they wouldn’t be one of the first ten teams I listed to win this year’s Super Bowl. And they have not been anywhere close in the last three seasons that have been played. It is surprising to me how much staying power that one win against the Chiefs has had.”
See Joe Burrow & the Bengals getting back to the Super Bowl?@getnickwright: “I am stunned at how much attention they are getting… it’s been 4 years since they have played in a playoff game.”@kevinwildes: “When you say it like that, it’s absurd!” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/P8gWeivw2F
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) June 18, 2026
Wright’s skepticism isn’t without merit when the AFC landscape is considered. The Bengals don’t just have to navigate an AFC North that features the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers; they also have to contend with a conference that has gotten significantly deeper.
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The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills remain perennial threats, but the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, and Los Angeles Chargers all enter the season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Simply making the playoffs will be a challenge for a Bengals team that hasn’t done so since the 2022 season, and a Super Bowl run looks even steeper.
Highest passer rating on 3rd and 4th downs over the past 3 seasons, per TruMedia:
🎯 Joe Burrow, CIN – 112.1
🎯 Jared Goff, DET – 108.5
🎯 Lamar Jackson, BAL – 107.2
🎯 Brock Purdy, SF – 103.6
🎯 Drake Maye, NE – 100.2
🎯 Patrick Mahomes, KC – 99.5
🎯 Jalen Hurts, PHI – 99.2
🎯… pic.twitter.com/xtn0YiDzb8— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) June 13, 2026
According to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric, the Bengals’ defense has finished in the bottom six in each of the last three seasons, and even being average will require significant effort from the coaching staff and players.
The talent on the Bengals’ roster is undeniable, but their star players, especially their superstar quarterback, need to stay healthy. It will be intriguing to see whether Burrow’s LSU comparison proves prophetic or just premature hype once the season starts in September.
