​ESPN analyst Kevin Clark joined First Take on Friday morning to share his latest NFL team tiers, which he organized into three categories: Super Bowl favorites, contenders, and maybe contenders. In Clark’s Super Bowl favorites tier, he listed the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks, while placing the Cincinnati Bengals in the contenders tier alongside the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia Eagles.
Clark’s bold prediction has the Bengals facing the Rams in Super Bowl LXI, a projection that aligns with the broadly positive read of Cincinnati’s offseason. Across national media, the Bengals have emerged as one of the offseason’s most talked-about teams, a sentiment shared by analysts who remain skeptical, such as Nick Wright and Darius Butler, and by voices like Clark himself, who believe Cincinnati not only can be competitive but also has a legitimate shot to contend for a Super Bowl in a pivotal year for the franchise.
One notable choice in Clark’s framework is the absence of any AFC teams in the Super Bowl favorites tier. He argues that the conference’s quarterback depth—now featuring Bo Nix and Drake Maye alongside Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes—creates a significantly tougher path for AFC clubs compared to the NFC. Clark cites the NFC West, anchored by the Rams and Seahawks, as the clearest exception to this trend.
If the Bengals can stay healthy, Clark suggests there is no reason they cannot remain in the playoff mix and potentially mount a postseason run, which would validate his Super Bowl prediction. The Bengals would lean on what many consider one of the league’s best offensive trios—Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins—bolstered by defensive additions such as Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, and Jonathan Allen. With those components, Cincinnati could undergo one of the most significant single-season surges in recent memory after finishing 6-11 in 2025.
The Bengals also benefit from a favorable schedule, ranked as having the third-easiest projected strength of schedule based on forecasted win totals from Sharp Football Analysis. Compounding this are the generally weaker outcomes projected for the AFC North, with the Cleveland Browns entering the season under low expectations and the Pittsburgh Steelers facing substantial questions marks. Additionally, Cincinnati’s non-division opponents posted weaker pass defenses in 2025, presenting additional opportunities for a potent offense to capitalize.
Clark’s pick of the Bengals to reach the Super Bowl is undeniably bold, given Cincinnati’s recent playoff drought. Yet his confidence in the team’s offseason improvements underscores a broader narrative: a franchise poised for a potential leap, aided by a perceived improvement in both skill position talent and defensive depth. If health holds and the Bengals execute at a high level, Clark’s scenario—Cincinnati chasing a title after a couple of down years—could reflect a rising trajectory for a team that has already generated considerable offseason buzz. For fans and analysts tracking the mindset of on-air predictions, Clark’s stance adds to a lively debate about whether Cincinnati’s window is opening wide enough to contend for a championship in the near term.