The Cincinnati Bengals have playfully trolled their 2026 opponents by assigning each a specific Pokémon character on social media.

This May 14 stunt leaned into quarterback Joe Burrow’s public passion for the franchise. The comparisons range from literal animal matches to blatant insults directed at division rivals.

They compared the Cleveland Browns to Trubbish, a Trash Bag category Pokémon. Trubbish resembles a garbage bag, and its Poison-type attacks can be quite deadly.

On the other hand, the Pittsburgh Steelers were compared to Klang, a Generation V steel-type Pokémon. This comparison makes some sense considering the team's name and their nickname, the Steel City.

During the 2025 season of the NFL, Burrow revealed that he was a big Pokémon trading cards fan. He enjoyed collecting the cards as a hobby. Since then, most in the NFL know about Burrow's love for the franchise.

Interestingly, the Cincinnati Bengals did not explain their choices made in their X post. Their comparisons remain open to interpretation.

List of All Pokémon Comparisons Made by The Cincinnati Bengals

While most teams were compared to a specific Pokémon, one AFC North franchise was compared to a Technical Machine, i.e., an item in the Pokémon universe that represents an attack / move that your pocket monster uses.

Here's a complete list of all the opponents mentioned by the Cincinnati Bengals

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).

A lot of these comparisons are simple references to the team's name. For instance, the Miami Dolphins got Magikarp, a water-type fish-like Pokémon.

On the other hand, the Jacksonville Jaguars were assigned Persian, a cat-like Pokémon.

Similarly, the Indianapolis Colts were attributed to Ponyta, which resembles a horse, and the Carolina Panthers got Luxray, which resembles a wild big cat.

One of the most interesting inclusions was Lechonk, assigned to the Washington Commanders. This must've been a reference to their 2023 mascot, Major Tuddy, who appeared as an anthropomorphic pig.

Unfortunately, fans don't know exactly why these choices were made. It could simply be a way for the Cincinnati Bengals to playfully make comparisons with their opponents.

The team is now set to face the Detroit Lions in their first pre-season match on August 13, 2026. The match will be held at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.

What is also interesting is that the team did not mention their upcoming opponent in their list of characters.

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Written by

Prit Chauhan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote