Michael Hull
The NFL released the Bengals' 2026 season schedule Thursday night, and there were quite a few notable trends. Here is a brief look at five of the important facts to know:
Open In Orange
The Bengals start their season in Cincinnati in 2026against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will be the third edition of the team'sOpen In Orangetradition, which takes place during Cincinnati's home opener each season.
Early Cat Gets the Worm
The Bengals will play seven straight 1 p.m. games to open up the year. Their first game outside of that window comes at 9:30 a.m. in Spain in Week 9 before their first prime-time game inWeek 10 against the Steelers. It is the longest Cincinnati will have to wait for a night game since the 2015 season, when its first prime-time game came in Week 9 on Thursday Night Football against the Browns.
"I think that's perfect. Love that. No late game nights, a lot of rest, the same routine," OTOrlando Brown Jr.toldSenior Writer Geoff Hobson. "That consistency is going to help us."
Who Dey Ol
The Bengalswill head to Spain as a part of the NFL's 2026 International Gamesin Week 9 against the Falcons. It's the league's second game in Madrid after the Dolphins and Commanders played in the inaugural Spain game last season. For the Bengals, it will be their third international game, previously playing in London in 2016 and 2019.
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Prime-time Stripes
Cincinnati is currently scheduled to have three prime-time games in 2026:Week 10 versus the Steelers, Week 11 at the Commanders andWeek 17 versus the Ravens. If you include Week 9's international game against the Falcons, the Bengals will play three straight games in a national window from Weeks 9-11. TheWeek 17 New Year's Evematchup will be the first time the Bengals host the Ravens in a prime-time regular season game since 2021 after going to Baltimore under the lights each of the last four regular seasons. Cincinnati hosted Baltimore in the 2022 Wild Card round.
On the Road Again (and Again)
The Bengals will not play back-to-back home games untilWeeks 17 and 18. It's the longest stretch without consecutive home games since 1997, per Pro Football Reference, when the Corey Dillon-led Bengals ended the season with three straight games at Cinergy Field from Weeks 15-17.
