It’s never too early to think about Super Bowl winners, as we’re just one week away from the 2026 NFL season kicking off.
For Chad Ochocinco, he doesn’t want to jump the gun too early on his prediction for Super Bowl LXI before he sees how teams start playing in the regular season.
But, if it were up to him, he does have a “storybook” ending to the season he wishes to see happen at SoFi Stadium this upcoming February. And it’s the same Super Bowl matchup the stadium saw the last time it hosted the Super Bowl.
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“For me, my storybook ending would be a rematch of the 2021 Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals again,” Ochocinco told OutKick while highlighting his partnership with DraftKings.
It was quite the battle between these two teams in 2021, as Matthew Stafford and the Rams, who took a big risk landing the veteran quarterback from the Detroit Lions via trade that offseason, came out on top over Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
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Years later, no one could’ve predicted that Stafford would be coming off an MVP 2025 NFL season, and even crazier, Aaron Donald would come out of retirement to join Myles Garrett on the Rams’ defensive line.
“Obviously, for Aaron Donald, I love the story. I love the story of him coming out of retirement,” Ochocinco said. “I like it when you think about that team defensively and when you think about what they have offensively. They already have a high-powered offense. So, you add Aaron Donald coming back, you already have Myles Garrett. You have [cornerback] Trent McDuffie.
“I think everybody would have to get hurt for them to lose. I’m just being honest. It’s almost unfair the kind of team they have right now, it’s the kind of team you build, if you play Madden and you play Ultimate Team, that’s exactly what the Rams are. Offensively and defensively. So, I don’t see them really losing many games. Obviously, you’re going to have some games where you fall short. But I see them coming out of the [NFC} West easily.”
But Ochocinco’s loyalty lies with his Bengals, the team he spent 10 of his 11 NFL seasons with and continues to believe in today.
As someone who never shies away from calling it like it is, Ochocinco loved watching Burrow “being very vocal about not being happy last year and still doing talking this year.” Burrow, in a “cryptic format” as Ochocinco put it, made a point to Bengals management that he doesn’t like losing and wants pieces on both sides of the ball to get back to the Super Bowl, which came in just Burrow’s second season in the NFL.
The Bengals made sure to extend Burrow’s top receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, while keeping tight end Mike Gesicki in place as well. Coupled with running back Chase Brown and some fortification on the offensive line, Cincinnati has what it needs on offense, which was never really the question.
Could the Bengals’ defense, a pain point for this club for the last couple seasons, get upgrades to match the offensive firepower Zac Taylor’s team possesses? On paper, Ochocinco likes what he sees this time around, to the point where he assumes it’s Super Bowl or bust.
“For my Bengals, it’s a put-up-or-shut-up year,” he said. “Listen, management has given him everything he needs. You got [Ja’Marr] Chase, you got Tee [Higgins]. They went and did what they needed to do in the offseason, especially defensively. So, he has to get it done. So, I’m assuming this has to be our year.
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“It’s because Joe Burrow talked about his displeasures publicly in cryptic format. If you’re a player, you understand what he meant. ‘Listen, I take winning serious. Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve always won. The pieces I had around me gave me the opportunity to win, and I want to make sure you guys are aligned with my same core values when it comes to winning and competing and giving me the pieces that I need.’ They showed you offensively and defensively, getting you [defensive tackle] Jonathan Allen, getting Dexter Lawrence, getting [safety Bryan] Cook from Kansas City. We got some good DBs. Therefore, now that you’ve done all the talking, and management has answered your requests, now it’s your turn. It’s on you to stay healthy, stay upright and deliver.”
Burrow has to stay healthy in Ochocinco’s eyes for the Bengals to get back to the Super Bowl, which seems obvious. However, Burrow’s injury bug struck once again last season, as he played just eight games one season after leading the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43).
But then again, is there any team that can take out the Rams this year if they stay healthy?
“In a sense it is unfair,” Ochocinco said. “But as great as Myles Garrett is, as great as Aaron Donald is, you have to have a scheme. You have to have a plan. You think about a player like Aaron Donald, you’re going to have to double-team somebody. I don’t know who it’s going to be – you’re going to have to pick your poison. Aaron Donald, the last time he played, he had a 20-sack season and he was double-teamed 64% of the team. And still had 20 sacks – that’s unheard of. Then, you have Myles Garrett coming off a 23-sack season. So, I mean, what do you do? When you have players like that come upfield so hard, I’m thinking about quick game. The ball has to come out quick, so they don’t have the time to be able to get to the quarterback. Also, running the ball, I think misdirection. You got to get them going one way and get them to stop their feet because they’re so good. It’s easy for me say what you need to do. It’s another thing to go out there and execute it in a structured environment. I’m not sure, but they have their hands full.”
OCHO LOVES DRAFTKINGS GAMEDAY
We’ll see how the 17-game-plus season shakes out, but discussions and predictions like these with Ochocinco prove that football is back, and he’s excited to impact the fan experience with DraftKings.
“DraftKings Gameday,” which will take place on Sept. 2, was announced on Monday with quite the activation as it celebrates the first football season with DraftKings Sports & Casino available in all 50 states. As a way to fuel fans with the return of football, DraftKings will be offering free gas, while supplies last, to passenger vehicles at select gas stations in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and Detroit. Specific locations and event times will be announced separately.
“For me, I think it’s fun because who else would do something like this outside of DraftKings. This is a great touch for NFL fans to start the season,” Ochocinco said. “We’re giving you free gas, so when your respective team plays, you’re fueled up to go. And word of mouth will be, ‘You won’t believe this? You know what DraftKings did? I was able to save money and get tickets to go to a game because they paid for my gas.’ That makes sense.”
There will also be exclusive DraftKings Gameday promotions for customers, a customized in-app experience, in-person activations, a charitable donation through the DraftKings SERVES program, and a new campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas this season.
“It’s all about the fan experience, so some of the offers and luxuries throughout the season is what sets us apart from everybody else. I’m happy to be a part of them,” Ochocinco said.
