With the 2025 NFL season in its infancy, speculation is in no short supply. When it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals, though, some of these assumptions are being treated as givens.
Amid the fog of preseason supposition, here’s a look at three bold Bengals predictions for 2025, and why they’re not as improbable as initially meets the eye.
While it’s largely considered a given that the Baltimore Ravens will take the division, there’s a good chance they struggle more than anticipated. Both Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are coming off career seasons, and it’s unlikely that both will continue at the same level of production.
This, combined with the fact that they have easily the most difficult schedule in the division (ranked ninth hardest in the NFL), suggests that this season could be a speed bump. The Bengals, on the other hand, have the easiest schedule in the division and the 14th most difficult in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a dark horse, but their uncertainty, mixed with one of the more difficult schedules in the league, doesn’t result in much trust for sustained success throughout the season.
It’s safe to say this is the mildest of these predictions, but with Baltimore regularly projected to make the Super Bowl, it’s clear this isn’t a popular sentiment. It does, however, seem likely when looking at these numbers. Especially if these next two claims come to fruition.
It’d be no surprise for Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins to finish the season as the best receiver duo in the league, as they’re assumed to be so entering the season. With the overall talent at the position, though, the Bengals have a real chance to have the best set of WRs top-to-bottom.
Andrei Iosivas is third on the depth chart, but has shown marked improvement between his seasons and is a more than reliable target for Joe Burrow.
With his excellent footwork and the attention defenses will have to give Chase and Higgins, Iosivas is poised for a serious year three leap. Mitchell Tinsley, the team’s newest at the position, also showed flashes of greatness during the preseason.
Tinsley carried this momentum to a roster spot, and if he can keep it rolling into the season, there could be another elite receiver in the jungle sooner rather than later. That leaves Charlie Jones, aka Chuck Sizzle, and Jermaine Burton as the final players rostered at the position.
Jones is primarily a return man and plays little to no role in the team’s passing game (although he did perform well in this regard this preseason). In his career, he’s accrued eight total receptions for 69 yards.
On the returning side, however, Jones has 42 returns (combined punts and kickoffs) for a total of 547 yards. This includes an 81-yard punt return and a 100-yard kickoff return, both of which resulted in touchdowns.
Sprinkle in some Jermaine Burton (who’s been playing well) and Mike Gesicki in the slot, and Cincinnati has some of the most raw talent they’ve ever had at the position. If everything breaks this team’s way, this group has a legitimate chance to be the absolute best in the league.
Having exited last season with one of the worst defenses in the entire NFL, the Bengals are expected to (again) run out a defense that opponents will routinely abuse. This also means that expectations are minuscule, as what’s expected is a weekly headache.
While the offseason began with signing stresses, Cincinnati made several significant moves to bolster itself on the defensive front. First, they finally reached agreements with both Trey Hendrickson (last season’s sack leader) and Shemar Stewart (2025 first-round pick), both of whom should make opposing quarterbacks’ lives worse.
What often gets glossed over, though, are the other additions the team has made. They also signed Oren Burks, TJ Slayton, and Mike Pennel, resigned BJ Hill and Joseph Ossai, and drafted Demetrious Knight II.
These moves won’t make the Bengals into a defensive powerhouse, but (with their already solid cornerbacks), could very well make them a competent unit. It could even put them in league-average range, even if this would require a miracle or two.
There are a lot of assumptions surrounding NFL teams this time of year, and some takes are given more hesitancy than others. Three 2025 assumptions that are treated as givens are that the Ravens will win their division, Chase and Higgins are Cincinnati’s only elite receivers, and the Bengals will have an abysmal defense.
Baltimore, however, has a rougher road than portrayed. Cincinnati made serious defensive renovations, and Chase and Higgins do make the WR room top-heavy, but the media has its finger on the scale. Expect the Bengals to have the best top-to-bottom receivers, take the NFC North, and have a downright passable defense.
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