Cincinnati's push to return to the postseason won't be easy, as their 2025 schedule features a cross-conference clash with the NFC North. The four NFC North squads finished the 2024 season with a combined record of 45-23, with three teams making the playoffs.

The Cincinnati Bengals will have a tough road to a playoff return based on the 2025 NFL schedule release. There, the Bengals start the season with an encounter against the Cleveland Browns on the road and hit primetime before the end of September.