Joe Burrow, Bengals One of NFL's Most Watchable Teams During 2026 Season

ESPN's Ben Solak broke down all 32 teams in a watchability ranking entering the 2026 NFL season, and Cincinnati checked in at No. 7 overall.

There is plenty of reason the Bengals could be exciting with one of the best teams Joe Burrow's ever had around him this decade.

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Dec 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks on before a snap in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The top-seven went in this order: Bears, Rams, Lions, Chargers, Patriots, Cowboys.

"You know what's fun to watch? High stakes. And stakes are higher nowhere else than in Cincinnati this season," Solak noted. "Doesn't every single game feel like a referendum on something or somebody in Cincinnati? Will every loss come with questions about the internal relationships of coach Zac Taylor, quarterback Joe Burrow, and Bengals ownership? Won't every win come with a sigh of relief and validation that the Bengals are finally healthy, balanced, and ready to win it all?

"The defense does need to be better, though. Bad defense can improve watchability rankings (read: create shootouts), but terrible defense is so repugnant that I end up clicking away in disgust. The Bengals started to round that critical corner last season, and in the early weeks of the season, I'll be glued to the tube to see whether Dexter Lawrence II looks as healthy and impactful as they need him to be."

Burrow has upped the ante plenty of times this fall, and he's ready to capture the ultimate prize.

There's no more "always next year" for the soon-to-be 30-year-old star.

"We have to step up and make something happen this year," Burrow said earlier in training camp. "We're working really hard for it. The urgency is very high in the locker room. You can feel it. It's palpable. As I said, we have to be more consistent on offense. Our standard is so high, but it's so high because of what we've done and what we can do, and so I'm going to continue to push that, and we're going to keep getting better and see where we're at Week 1. But I'm so excited for it."

The Bengals ranked higher than any AFC North team on this list and could end up the runaway winners of the division if they handle business across those six games.

Baltimore checked in at No. 12 overall, while the Steelers were 26th and the Browns brought up the rear at No. 32. They prompted a "No, thank you" from Solak.

Check out the full ranking here.

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