Bengals miss FOX Sports list of seven legitimate Super Bowl contenders

The Cincinnati Bengals are absent from a list of seven teams identified as championship threats entering the 2026 NFL season by FOX Sports analyst Steven Ruiz. The group of contenders consists of the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans. While Ruiz acknowledged that the offense led by Joe Burrow possesses high potential, he classified the Cincinnati defense as mediocre. Consequently, the team was placed in a secondary tier of clubs viewed as capable of sneaking into the postseason but unlikely to win the title. The Bengals remain within the broader Super Bowl conversation as the season begins. The organization must now demonstrate on the field that the team belongs in the league's top championship tier.

• 11:01 PMYahoo Sports — Bengals snubbed from 7-team Super Bowl contender list