The 2026 NFL season is heating up, and this week brought some long-awaited schedule news that has Cincinnati Bengals fans celebrating. For the past four seasons, the Bengals have faced their AFC North rival, the Baltimore Ravens, on the road in primetime—a streak that left many fans frustrated. But the NFL has finally listened to the cries from the Queen City.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Thursday that the league is flipping the script. The Bengals will now host the Ravens on Thursday Night Football in Week 17, set for New Year's Eve at Paycor Stadium. It's a major win for Cincinnati faithful, who have been vocal about wanting to see their team defend home turf under the lights against Baltimore.
As you can imagine, social media erupted with reactions from both sides. One Bengals fan posted, "At least we get the home field advantage on this ridiculous annual tradition this time." Meanwhile, a Ravens fan fired back, "Bungholes fans cried so much about coming to Baltimore that they finally get their wish. Now Lamar Jackson gets to celebrate New Year's in Lamar Jackson stadium, how nice." Another Bengals supporter added, "Four years of going to Baltimore for primetime and now we get them at Paycor?? The NFL heard us."
But the schedule news doesn't stop there. The Bengals have also been confirmed to play in the franchise's first international game, heading to Madrid, Spain. Star quarterback Joe Burrow is embracing the opportunity to grow the sport globally. "The game has a lot of room to grow, just like basketball did in the '80s and '90s. The Bulls kind of spearheaded that. Made it global, and hopefully the Bengals can do the same thing over the next couple of years for the NFL."
With a fresh schedule and a global stage, the Bengals are gearing up for a pivotal season. After three straight years without a playoff win, the team is hungry to turn things around—and they'll have the home crowd behind them for that crucial New Year's Eve showdown.