Shortly after it was confirmed that the Cincinnati Bengals would miss the playoffs for a 3rd straight season, a report revealed that Bengals head coach Zac Taylor had two years remaining on his contract following the 2025 campaign.
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow has repeatedly voiced his support for Taylor, however Burrow extra just lately noted that it is his “job and Zac’s job and the leaders of this crew to deliver the locker room collectively after which go execute on the sector” after the Bengals bolstered their roster through a number of offseason strikes. For a bit printed on Friday, Bengals reporter Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic addressed Taylor’s unsure future with the group.
Does Zac Taylor want to finish a deep playoff run to maintain his job?
“This crew must make the postseason,” Dehner wrote concerning the Bengals. “Something shy feels just like the restart button will get hit. I don’t assume a deep run is important; there’s an excessive amount of nuance concerned in how that goes down to color with a broad brush. As an illustration, in the event that they went 14-3 and have been upset within the first spherical, [Taylor is] not going wherever. In the event that they end 9-8 and lose within the first spherical, it’s most likely a dialogue.”
A number of stories that surfaced all through the primary 5 months of 2026 steered that Burrow might submit a commerce request subsequent offseason if the Bengals once more miss out on postseason play. After all, such takes have been made underneath the idea that Burrow will keep wholesome for the majority of the upcoming marketing campaign.
Most just lately, a critical toe issue induced Burrow to overlook 9 video games final season.
In the meantime, Taylor is now the only AFC North coach who was employed by his present membership final September. He might not must get his arms on the Vince Lombardi Trophy to stay the division’s longest-tenured coach by way of 2027.
How Zac Taylor might earn a contract extension
“I’d assume a visit to the AFC Championship Recreation would open extension talks,” Dehner added about Taylor’s standing. “I might see Taylor wanting so as to add two extra years and be tied to the membership by way of the tip of Burrow’s deal in 2029. Most of that is speculative, however keep in mind, [Mike Brown] is essentially the most affected person proprietor within the recreation in relation to head coaches, and there’s a powerful relationship there. Make no mistake, he’s acquired to win, and he’s acquired to win now. There’s no hiding from that. Everyone’s job is on the road in 2026. There aren’t any excuses.”
That is straightforward to say now, however it stays to be seen how Brown would react if one other shedding season for the Bengals is linked with Burrow changing into unavailable for a prolonged stretch of video games.
