The Cincinnati Bengals cleverly revealed their 2026 NFL schedule by referencing quarterback Joe Burrow’s fondness for Pokémon. They matched each opponent with a different Pokémon, playfully teasing some of them – especially their rivals within the AFC North division.
Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati quarterback known for his drive and leadership, is also a big fan of Pokémon. During the 2025 NFL season, he shared his enjoyment of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. However, Burrow admitted he finds the current trend of opening card packs just to grade and sell them – which has become popular on social media – a little strange. He prefers older Pokémon cards, naming Mewtwo, Zapdos, and Blaziken as some of his favorites.
NFL Opponents Compared to Pokemon
Even though the 2026 NFL season doesn’t start for another four months, the Bengals are already playfully teasing their rivals. They announced their upcoming opponents on Twitter, using images of Pokémon to either poke fun at or praise each team. For example, they used Trubbish – a Pokémon known as the ‘Trash Bag Pokémon’ – to represent the Cleveland Browns, a long-time opponent. While the Bengals finished last season with a 6-11 record and didn’t make the playoffs, the Browns had an even worse record of 5-12. As division rivals in the AFC North, the Bengals will play the Browns twice next season – once in Cincinnati and once in Cleveland.
The Cincinnati Bengals 2026 NFL Season Opponents As Pokemon
- Cleveland Browns – Trubbish
- Pittsburgh Steelers – Klang
- Miami Dolphins – Magikarp
- Kansas City Chiefs – Zebstrika
- Jacksonville Jaguars – Persian
- Tennessee Titans – Shiny Aegislash
- New Orleans Saints – Serperior
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Dhelmise
- Houston Texans – Tauros
- Indianapolis Colts – Ponyta
- Atlanta Falcons – Pidgey
- Carolina Panthers – Luxray
- Washington Commanders – Lechonk
- Baltimore Ravens – TM27 (Return)
The Cincinnati Bengals are using Pokémon to represent their opponents this NFL season. They chose Klang, a Steel-type Pokémon, to represent the Pittsburgh Steelers, a nod to Pittsburgh’s nickname, the Steel City. Other Pokémon picks include Magikarp for the Miami Dolphins, Persian for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Lechonk for the Washington Commanders. The Lechonk choice is a playful reference to Major Tuddy, the Commanders’ new mascot introduced last year.
The Bengals took an unusual approach when describing their rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, on their team schedule. Instead of referencing a raven-like Pokémon, they used “TM27 (Return),” a move from the Pokémon video games. This move becomes stronger the closer the bond is between a Pokémon and its trainer. While useful in older games like Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Return hasn’t been a playable move in recent Pokémon games since Generation 8. It’s a mystery why the Bengals chose this particular move to represent the Ravens.
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After the Cincinnati Bengals were jokingly compared to Pokémon, fans started associating the team with strong Fire-type Pokémon like Incineroar and Arcanine. The Bengals and all other NFL teams will find out their complete schedules – including dates and start times – during a special broadcast on NFL Network this Thursday, May 14th, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.
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2026-05-15 04:04