The Cincinnati Bengals’ season ended in disappointment. Despite the team being eliminated since Week 15, they fought back and won consecutive games prior to their regular season finale. In their Week 18 matchup, the Bengals were unable to sweep the Browns as they lost 20-18 in a game that featured history being made.
After the 6-11 season, and a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance for the Bengals, questions about head coach Zac Taylor’s job security intensified. However, after their loss to Cleveland, team president Mike Brown released a statement in support of Zac Taylor. Additionally, Zac Taylor confirmed in his press conference that there would be no changes made to the coaching staff, despite the disappointing year.
Bengals Player Facing Time in Jail
The news has not gotten any better for the Bengals after the season. As the offseason begins in Cincinnati, it has been reported that cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt will spend a few days in jail. According to the report, the Bengals cornerback reported to jail on Tuesday, Jan. 6. This occurred after he pled guilty to reckless driving. The ticket resulted from two incidents Taylor-Britt had this past year.
His first incident occurred on June 18, when he was cited for reckless driving downtown. The second incident occurred on Sunday, September 14, the day of the Bengals’ week 2 matchup against the Jaguars. On that occasion, Taylor-Britt was cited for street racing near Paycor Stadium. Additionally, the defensive back has been accused of driving with a restricted license and failure to obey roadway signs.
The Bengals cornerback pleaded guilty to the charges of reckless driving and driving without a license. It has not been made clear whether these incidents occurred before or after the Bengals game in week 2. For these charges, he will face five days in jail.
Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Outlook
Following the season, Cam Taylor-Britt is set to become a free agent after spending four seasons with the Bengals. He was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and started 40 games for Cincinnati. His 2025 was a year to forget as aside from the incidents that led him to spend time in jail, he also suffered a season-ending injury in week 11 that required surgery. Whether or not his off-the-field behavior has an impact on his upcoming free-agency remains to be seen. In eight games this season, Taylor-Britt had a 57.6 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 79th out of 114 qualified cornerbacks.
Despite being a significant contributor throughout the past four seasons, Taylor-Britt is not the Bengals’ most important upcoming free agent. That would be former first-team All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who has totaled 61 sacks in five seasons with the Bengals. Unfortunately, the outlook does not look promising for Hendrickson remaining in Cincinnati, as ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler said, “This relationship has run its course. The Bengals have the option to franchise tag Hendrickson, but after a year of contentious contract negotiations, the edge rusher appears poised to land elsewhere and capitalize on a booming positional market.”
Bengals Player Facing Time in Jail