There have been some excellent highs for the Cincinnati Bengals under Zac Taylor, but the lows are becoming more frequent lately. Now, he’ll need to put it together this season to avoid the hot seat.
It’s now been three seasons without making the playoffs for Taylor and the Bengals. On top of that, going into the offseason, there were rumors that franchise quarterback Joe Burrow was unhappy with the direction of the team, so this offseason, there was a major push to rebuild the defense. With that in place, the Bengals expect to win right away.
“But this year, 2026, is the one to circle in red. If the Bengals underwhelm after a strong offseason, it might not matter that Taylor still has one year left on his deal,” Chris Roling of USA Today’s Bengals Wire wrote.
Roling isn’t the only voice noting the pressure that Taylor is under in 2026. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic has also pointed out that the blame is going to fall on Taylor now.
“There is no other fall guy if things don’t work this year. Barring injury, nobody will point fingers at Burrow,” Dehner wrote. “The front office earned a reprieve with a strong offseason, and even the quarterback told people ‘we have everything we need’ and to back off the personnel department.”
Jason McCourty Says the Cincinnati Bengals Should Compete in the AFC
GettyCincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor
All the usual suspects are expecting to be competitive again in the AFC. It’s a party of teams the Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to break into, similarly to the New England Patriots in 2025.
The focus this offseason was to build up the defense. That included their most notable addition of Dexter Lawrence along the defensive line. It’s that addition that Jason McCourty highlighted as why the Bengals are going to be a tough out in the AFC.
“To trade for Dexter Lawrence, the moves they made getting Super Bowl winners on the defensive side of the ball, and they’ve returned all 11 starters on the offensive side,” McCourty said on Up & Adams.
“This is a team in the AFC where it is hard to argue that Kansas City, Baltimore, and Buffalo have a significantly better chance than the Cincinnati Bengals. I’ve seen Burrow do it. I’ve seen him reach a championship game. I have Cincinnati right at the top with the rest of the contenders in the AFC and their ability to get to the Super Bowl.”
Adam Schefter Says the Cincinnati Bengals are a Dangerous Team
GettyCincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow
The hype around the Cincinnati Bengals has recently extended to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter. He recently appeared on Get Up, explaining why he thinks they’re a “dangerous” team this season.
“If Joe Burrow’s healthy, they’re probably going to be playing with a lead a lot of the time,” Schefter said. “And if they’re playing with a lead, it takes a lot of pressure off what should be a much-improved defense… Joe Burrow himself has said that this is the best roster that he’s played with in Cincinnati, and if we go back and look, the Bengals did go to a Super Bowl before and nearly won it in Los Angeles with Joe Burrow playing.”
That talented roster is part of why Schefter is high on the Bengals. The other part of the puzzle is fairly practical, though. It’s an easy schedule. So, there’s no excuse for Taylor and Burrow not to win.
“And also, let’s remember this: their schedule is about as easy as any schedule in the league,” Schefter said. “It is set up for the Bengals to have a big year and to be a dangerous team.”
Why Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor Needs to Worry About a Hot Seat