What to make of the Cincinnati Bengals heading into the 2025 NFL season? One on hand, you have quarterback Joe Burrow coming off of an MVP-caliber season and perhaps the best wide-receiver duo in the entire league. On the other hand, you have one great player on defense right now, he’s disgruntled and your top two draft picks – which happen to be on that side of the ball – are still unsigned in July.
One could understand how being a Bengals fan could make you pull your hair out. Maybe that’s why Pacman Jones was always in such a sour mood when he played for them.
Recently, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report released his offseason NFL power rankings for the 2025 season and the Bengals checked in at No. 16.
“The Cincinnati Bengals were truly a Jekyll-and-Hyde football team a year ago,” Knox writes. “Dr. Jekyll was Cincinnati’s explosive offense. Joe Burrow led the NFL in passing yards, while wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase won receiving’s Triple Crown—leading the NFL in receiving yards, receptions and touchdown catches.
“Mr. Hyde was Cincinnati’s defense. Despite having the NFL’s sack leader in veteran edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati ranked 25th in the league in both yards allowed and points allowed.”
Can the Bengals find a way to field a competitive defense?
It’s the question that certainly needs answering after the team’s defensive unit ranked No. 25 overall in the NFL in 2024. Their best chances of improving that side of the ball are taking care of Hendrickson and signing first-round pick Shemar Stewart and second-round pick Demetrius Knight to rookie contracts. Yes, Stewart’s situation isn’t going well, which is oh-so Bengals.
Should Bengals fans expect new defensive coordinator Al Golden to come in and work miracles on a poor defense that – right now on paper – is worse than last year?
“The guys have exceeded expectations in terms of preparation, and the staff has done a great job delivering the message,” Golden said. “Goal line and end of game stuff is all that’s left for training camp, so that’s a pretty remarkable job by everybody. I love the attitude of the players to attack that the way they did.”
Has Golden already noticed that the Bengals lost six games last year when scoring 25-or-more points on offense? Because that’s not goal-line or end-of-game problems.
Questions are everywhere for the Bengals in 2025
Will the Bengals have enough firepower on offense to outscore opponents and make up for a lackluster defense? They didn’t last year (see: aforementioned 25+ points stat and a 9-8 playoff-less season). How much will the holdouts of Hendrickson and the rookies affect the season?
The Bengals do this to themselves if we’re being honest.
“I still don’t love Cincinnati’s decision to dump defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo for Al Golden this offseason, and I don’t think the Bengals have invested nearly enough in their defense or offensive line this offseason,” concludes Knox. “Ongoing contract issues involving Trey Hendrickson and rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart have me even less convinced that we’ll see a defensive turnaround in Cincy this year.
“That said, the Bengals’ passing offense is always potent enough to keep the team in games. I view Cincinnati as a fringe playoff team right now, but I’ll be equally unsurprised if the Bengals are back in the Super Bowl or looking for a new head coach in February.”
That’s such a Bengals’ take. No lies told.
Cincinnati Bengals Have Very Predicable Slot in Power Rankings