This offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals went against the status quo of the franchise. Unlike other teams like the Los Angeles Rams, who have a tendency of aggressive “all-in” moves, the Bengals have primarily been known to prefer sustained winning over a long-term period rather than being aggressive on a championship window.
After losing Trey Hendrickson to the division rival Baltimore Ravens, that once again appeared to be the case. Despite signing three different defensive starters to contracts worth potentially over $125 million combined, the team’s approach did not seem to be particularly aggressive. Instead, they appeared to be signing players at value and addressing some of the issues that caused the 2025 season to be a disappointment.
That all changed once the Bengals traded the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange for three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence. However, despite the excitement around the Bengals’ upcoming season, some of the complaints from years past remain, including the team’s head coach. Now, a former Bengals All-Pro has offered a blunt take regarding the job status of Zac Taylor.
Former Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro Andrew Whitworth Offers Blunt Take
While speaking with D.J. Siddiqi, former Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth said, “Where do we go this year? I think this is a big year, not just for Joe Burrow. I think it’s a big year for Zac Taylor, and really the direction of the organization in general, because they’ve taken the swings and now they’ve got to see a team that lives up to those expectations.”
Regarding Whitworth’s comments, Bengals Wire’s Chris Roling wrote: “Injuries, poor front office management, and other factors have played a role, but Taylor has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons. He’s the one in charge of coaching hires and scapegoats like former defensive coordinators have already been replaced …
Fair or not, if these all-in moves don’t create a contender for Taylor, the organization will indeed have some tough questions to answer about trying yet again with Taylor in 2027. But the inverse is true, too: If Taylor takes them back to contention, he could be looking at a contract extension.”
Zac Taylor Job Security
The topic of Taylor’s job security is not new. Following the 2025 season, Bengals president Mike Brown felt the need to release a statement in which he confirmed that both Taylor and Duke Tobin would be returning for the 2026 season.
Perhaps if the Bengals had not been aggressive, Taylor’s job security would be less dangerous. Because as Whitworth and Roling mentioned, expectations are now high. A to Z Sports Bengals writer John Sheeran wrote: “The bar has been raised quite high after a disappointing three-year stretch.
The only thing that has remained truly consistent is the coach. Taylor reset his defensive staff last year. Burrow has been in and out of the lineup due to injury. The front office took a leap it had never taken before in trading for Dexter Lawrence on top of adding to the defense around him.
It’s all set up for Taylor to lead in the right direction, or else finding a new leader is going to be the focal point of the next offseason.”
Ex-Bengals All-Pro Offers Blunt Take on HC Zac Taylor