2025 Cincinnati Bengals Off-Season Updates Presented by GoldSheet | NFL Previews

The Cincinnati Bengals have gone through a tumultuous offseason, with first round draft pick Shemar Stewart refusing to sign his contract and Trey Hendrickson refusing to report to workouts. The Bengals were able to keep Joe Burrow happy by re-signing his top two targets in Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, but did that come at the detriment to the rest of the team?

2025 Cincinnati Bengals Team Preview

AFC North Odds

Team	SB LX Odds	AFC	Division	Win Total
Ravens	+700	+350	-145	11.5 (o -115 / u -105)
Bengals	+2000	+950	+230	9.5 (o -150 / u +125)
Steelers	+4000	+2000	+550	8.5 (o +110 / u -130)
Browns	+25000	+12000	+3000	4.5 (o -160 / u +135)

Odds above courtesy of DraftKings as of June 6. The Cincinnati Bengals went 9-8 straight-up, 10-7 against the spread while finishing third in the AFC North. The Bengals ended the regular season on a five-game win streak, but it was too-little-too-late after a 1-4 start to the year. The over was 11-6 in Cincinnati’s games last season.

Cincinnati Bengals Roster Moves

QBs on Roster: Joe Burrow (6th Year); Jake Browning (4th Year); Logan Woodside (2nd Year w/ Team); and Payton Thorne (Rookie)

Coaching Changes: Zac Taylor returns for his seventh season at the helm where he also serves as the primary play caller. Former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden has replaced Lou Anarumo as the leader of the Bengals’ defense.

Key Acquisitions: Defensive tackle Tedarrell Slaton; Offensive lineman Lucas Patrick; and running back Samaje Perine

Key Departures: Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins; Offensive lineman Alex Cappa; Offensive lineman Trent Brown; Linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither; and running back Khalil Herbert

2025 Cincinnati Bengals Draft Picks: R1 P17 Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M; R2 P49 Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina; R3 P81 Dylan Fairchild, IOL, Georgia; R4 P119 Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson; R5 P153 Jalen Rivers, IOL, Miami; R6 P193 Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech

2025 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule

****GS Line represents our projected point spreads using our summer power ratings. Special thanks to Ralph Michaels (@CalSportsLV) for his assistance in putting the schedules together with rest disparities and DraftKings’ opening spreads.

2025 NFL Rule Changes

• Touchbacks on a kickoff will now give the receiving team the ball on the 35-yard line instead of the 30 in an effort to increase more kick returns and discourage touchbacks.
• The regular season overtime rules will now match the postseason overtime rules, as both teams will now have an opportunity to possess the ball regardless of the outcome of the first drive. Per Jon Ferrari of the Eagles, 37.5-percent of last year’s overtime games ended with a first-drive touchdown. The new rule will allow both teams to have the ball.
• The video review booth will have an increased role in assisting the on-field officials. The video assistants can’t put a flag on the field if they believe that the officials missed a call, but they can pick one up if an erroneous flag is thrown (i.e. a facemask penalty is called, but upon video review, it’s determined that the facemask was never actually grabbed).
• Artificial intelligence and lasers will be used to determine the remaining yardage for a first down. The officials are still responsible for spotting the football just like they always have, but technology will now do the job of the chain gang and they will no longer have to run in from the sidelines for a first down measurement. Once the official places the ball down, lasers will determine if the offense reached the first down line and/or how far away they are from reaching that mark.
• Teams that are trailing will now be able to attempt an onside kick at any point in the game from the 34-yard-line (instead of the traditional kickoff spot at the 35-yard-line). Previously, teams were only able to attempt an onside kick in the fourth quarter.

2025 Football GoldSheet Early Bird Special

Subscribe to the country’s longest-running sports betting newsletter for less than $7 per week. The Football GoldSheet will be your betting concierge through the 2025-26 football season, offering weekly NFL and NCAAF game previews, stat logs and much more. Early-bird subscribers will begin receiving preseason content in May as we recap the NFL draft and schedule release, plus season win totals and division previews.

WagerTalk Live Odds Screen

WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the moneylines, point spreads, totals and betting percentages for all of the Cincinnati Bengals games from their release in May all the way through Week 1 in September. Find free NFL picks from season win total bets through Super Bowl futures on our free picks pages.

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