Reasons for Bengals Hope and Mope Revealed Ahead of 2026 NFL Minicamps

Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano revealed one reason for hope and one reason to mope for every NFL fanbase as OTAs wind down and the calendar turns to Mandatory Minicamp in Cincinnati next week.

Both of Cincinnati's positive and negative prompts involved Joe Burrow, who had his contract restructured this week, adding $10 million to his 2026 pay. It marked the first time in team history that Cincinnati restructured a contract in this fashion.

"If Joe Burrow is healthy, the Bengals might have the league’s top offense. With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the perimeter, and Chase Brown in the backfield, Cincinnati has the potential for three players to reach 1,000 yards while another throws for 4,000," Manzano wrote about the hope.

A Health Mope

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is examined after being injured on a play in the second quarter of the NFL Week 2 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. The Jaguars led 17-10 at halftime. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The mope tied right into Burrow's issues staying healthy in the past few seasons.

"Burrow has struggled to stay healthy, playing 35 games over the past three years," Manzano wrote about the mope. "Additionally, last year’s 31st-ranked defense, while it added nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II and safety Bryan Cook, also lost Trey Hendrickson, who had 61 sacks over the past five seasons."

If potential health issues are the only big thing to mope about, then that marks a great offseason for the Bengals. Teams can't control how healthy they will be in a given season. All they can do is set up the roster with the most top-end talent and depth possible, something the Bengals definitely did this offseason.

Bengals director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, feels they've filled their biggest holes.

"After free agency, our team is pretty complete,” Tobin said after the 2026 NFL Draft. “We didn't have a lot of holes. We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of football. We have young guys who are just starting to find their groove and play really well for us. So, it frees you up a little bit. You don't want to be drafting for starters. If your draftees become starters, that's great, but you don't want to be reliant on them to start immediately, and that's not where our team is."

Check out the full list of hopes and mopes here.

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