The next two drafts have been awarded. The third one could be on the way.
Via the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Cincinnati Regional Sports Commission and the Bengals have engaged in an “ongoing conversation with the NFL” to host the 2029 NFL draft.
Per the report, the Bengals have submitted a letter of interest. Cincinnati has not submitted a formal bid at this point.
For now, there’s no timeline for a decision.
The 2027 NFL draft will be held in D.C. Last week, the NFL awarded the 2028 NFL draft to Minneapolis.
If the draft happens in Cincinnati, where would it occur? Said Cincinnati Regional Sports Commission executive director Ben Huffman, “Wherever [the NFL] would like it to be, we will make it happen.”
That’s the right attitude. Nearly every NFL city wants the draft. That gives the NFL the ability to dictate any and all terms to any city that gets it.
The rash of 2024 burglaries targeting NFL players (including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce) has resulted in more arrests.
Via ESPN, authorities in Argentina recently apprehended three Chilean citizens in connection with the crimes: Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, and Pablo Zuniga Cartes.
The men are currently in Chile, awaiting extradition to the United States.
The crime ring also is tied to the 2024 burglary at the home of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
The burglaries allegedly included tracking the travel of athletes, along with technology that bypassed alarm systems and jammed WiFi networks. The group allegedly stole millions in cash, jewelry, and other property.
The three men arrested in Argentina are among seven who were charged in February 2025, in connection with the burglaries. Three others are awaiting trial for the Burrow burglary. Another pleaded guilty in March 2026 to interstate transportation of stolen property.
Edge rusher Myles Murphy set career highs for sacks, tackles and quarterback hits during the 2025 season, but his improvement wasn’t enough to convince the Bengals to guarantee his return for the 2027 season.
The Bengals declined to exercise their option for a fifth season with the 2023 first-round pick and Murphy said he understands why the team made the decision. The Bengals made a lot of investments in veteran defensive players this offseason and director of player personnel Duke Tobin cited those moves while breaking the news to Murphy.
“I knew it was a possibility,” Murphy said, via Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News. “Duke and everyone upstairs, they’ve been pretty transparent on ‘we spent a lot of money this offseason.’ So, it does make sense. We talk. No hard feelings. We talk about everything, so really, just doing my job right now, getting ready for the upcoming season, trying to be in the best shape I can be, the best teammate I can be.”
Murphy said that Tobin said the team has interest in signing Murphy to an extension, but it seems likely that any next steps will come after seeing how Murphy performs on the field this fall. That sets up the 2026 season as a pivotal one.
“What happens in the business world or off the field, you cannot let that affect you,” Murphy said. “You won’t be at your best when it comes time to play football. So, I think at the end of the day, fifth year or not, extension or not, I’ve got to be at my best regardless.”
Murphy had three sacks in the final four games of the 2025 season and picking up where he left off will lead to a big contract somewhere next spring.
The Bengals are trying to end a streak of three years without a playoff berth. To get there, they’ve added former Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
With the three-year, $40.25 million contract, the Bengals added both a skilled defender and a player who has been part of three Super Bowl teams and two NFL champions.
For now, Cook is working to help himself and his teammates get ready for the grind to come.
“I’m doing the best I can learning the system and learning the plays, learning the guys and the locker room,” Cook said this week, via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Just be who I can be for the team and go from there.”
It’s going to take some time. And Cook plans to take full advantage of the time he has.
“It feels like forever to the first game,” Cook said. “These are important days that you have to stack to get to that point of being very comfortable about who we are and I’m very excited about that. What we can bring to the table going into the regular season and hopefully the postseason.”
With the Bengals currently favored in 15 of their 17 regular-season games, playoffs are the minimum expectation. And quarterback Joe Burrow proved, both in 2021 and 2022, that when he gets to the postseason he unlocks an even higher level of performance.
“You need a quarterback first and foremost, and weapons on offense,” Cook said. “We’ve found some pieces on defense and changed the mentality going into the offseason. They’ve put up a lot of points. I know if we can stop them, it can turn into a blowout really quickly.”
It’s more than that. A team needs to find a way to work together. To support each other. To know each other.
“I’m listening to the guys, trying to understand where they’re coming from and how they move,” Cook said. “How can I reach this person if need be. Reading and seeing that person. You never know what somebody is going through no matter what day it is. Just being somebody to lean on these guys.”
The goal is clear, for Cook, Burrow, and the Bengals.
“Now it’s just trying to get over this hump so you can say you did something that’s never been done in franchise history,” Cook said.
The Bengals have been to the Super Bowl three times. The next step is to get there and win it. There’s an urgency to do it sooner rather than later, especially since the recent struggles have raised a fair question as to whether Burrow will start exploring his options elsewhere, if the Bengals can’t get him where he wants to go.
After three straight years with no playoff appearances, the pressure is on the Bengals in 2026. Quarterback Joe Burrow’s assessment of the improvements the team has made since a disappointing 6-11 performance in 2025 will only increase the expectations.
Making the bar even higher is the fact that, for now, the Bengals are favored in 15 of their 17 regular-season games.
Via DraftKings, the Bengals are the underdogs only in Week 2 (+2.5, at Texans) and Week 7 (+3.5, at Ravens). The Bengals’ over-under for their win total is currently 9.6.
All of the lines can, and most will, change. But the current assessment of the Bengals is that they will be serious contenders in 2026. Which will set the stage for potentially significant changes if they fail to make the playoffs for a fourth straight year.
The most obvious change, if the team misses the postseason, would happen on the coaching staff — starting at the top. The more pressing question would become whether Burrow will fully commit for an eighth season, or whether he’d seek a mid-career change of scenery.
