Cincinnati Bengals Schedule 2026: Full Slate, Dates, Times and TV

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The Bengals return to the international slate for the first time since 2019, facing Atlanta in Madrid in Week 9. Cincinnati is the road team for that one, so all eight of its home dates are at Paycor Stadium.

Zac Taylor’s eighth season starts after a 6-11 finish and a third straight year out of the playoffs. The schedule is built to be decided late: Pittsburgh on Sunday night, Kansas City in Week 14, Baltimore on New Year’s Eve, then Cleveland in Week 18.

2026 Team Schedule
Cincinnati Bengals Schedule
AFC North · Paycor Stadium · Zac Taylor (8th year)
8
Home Games
6
Bye Week
Sept 13
Opener vs Buccaneers
Nov 8
Circle It: Madrid
Week Date Opponent Time (ET) / TV Result
1 Sun, Sept 13 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 PM · FOX —
2 Sun, Sept 20 at Houston Texans 1:00 PM · CBS —
3 Sun, Sept 27 at Pittsburgh Steelers 1:00 PM · CBS —
4 Sun, Oct 4 vs Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 PM · CBS —
5 Sun, Oct 11 at Miami Dolphins 1:00 PM · FOX —
6 — BYE WEEK — —
7 Sun, Oct 25 at Baltimore Ravens 1:00 PM · CBS —
8 Sun, Nov 1 vs Tennessee Titans 1:00 PM · CBS —
9 Sun, Nov 8 at Atlanta Falcons (Madrid) 9:30 AM · NFLN —
10 Sun, Nov 15 vs Pittsburgh Steelers 8:20 PM · NBC —
11 Mon, Nov 23 at Washington Commanders 8:15 PM · ESPN —
12 Sun, Nov 29 vs New Orleans Saints 1:00 PM · CBS —
13 Sun, Dec 6 at Cleveland Browns 1:00 PM · CBS —
14 Sun, Dec 13 vs Kansas City Chiefs 4:25 PM · FOX —
15 Sun, Dec 20 at Carolina Panthers 1:00 PM · FOX —
16 TBD at Indianapolis Colts TBD —
17 Thu, Dec 31 vs Baltimore Ravens 8:15 PM · Prime —
18 TBD vs Cleveland Browns TBD —
Week 16 is a designated matchup whose date and time are set later in the season, no later than immediately after Week 14. Week 18 details are announced only after Week 17 concludes. Prime-time games can move under flexible scheduling.

Games That Will Define the Bengals’ Season

Wk 9 at Falcons Madrid, 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network, with Atlanta as the designated home team. It is Cincinnati’s first international game since 2019.
Wk 10 vs Steelers Sunday night at Paycor, a week after the flight home from Spain. Pittsburgh won the AFC North last season and the Bengals see them twice in eight weeks.
Wk 14 vs Chiefs Kansas City in the late-afternoon national window, the kind of December game Cincinnati has to win to be taken seriously in the AFC.
Wk 17-18 Baltimore on Thursday night, New Year’s Eve, then Cleveland at home in Week 18. Two division games at Paycor to finish the year.
Back Overseas
The Madrid game is Cincinnati’s first appearance in the NFL International Series since 2019, and it lands right before the Steelers on Sunday night.
An All-In Offseason
Cincinnati traded the No. 10 overall pick to the Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence in April, the first time the franchise had ever dealt a top-10 selection.
A Very Early Bye
Week 6 is the break, which leaves twelve straight games to close, including the Madrid trip and three prime-time windows.

How the Schedule Sets Up

The opening five weeks are ordinary: Tampa Bay at home, then Houston, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Miami. Cincinnati has to bank wins there, because the bye arrives in Week 6 and nothing after it gets easier.

The run from Baltimore in Week 7 through the Chiefs in Week 14 includes Madrid, two prime-time games and four division matchups. The last four weeks are Carolina, Indianapolis, Baltimore on New Year’s Eve and Cleveland. For the other side of the Week 7 and Week 17 games, see our Baltimore Ravens schedule page. Full league schedules and flexible-scheduling rules are published by the NFL.

The Bottom Line

Eight home games, an early Week 6 bye, a trip to Madrid, and a finish that runs through Baltimore and Cleveland. Coming off 6-11 and three straight seasons without a playoff berth, the Bengals get a soft opening month and then have to prove something for twelve straight weeks. Bookmark this page; results and Week 16 and 18 details are updated throughout the season.