The Cincinnati Bengals have certainly not lived up to expectations in recent years, and while much of that is due to Joe Burrow’s difficulty staying on the field, some wonder if head coach Zac Taylor is really cut out for the job.
With the Bengals missing the playoffs yet again this season, Taylor has been pitched as a potential hot seat candidate, but it doesn’t look like he is going anywhere, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
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Why? Because of Burrow.
“Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been a consistent voice of support for coach Zac Taylor within the organization, as have receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins,” Russini wrote. “Cincinnati ownership has made it clear they value Burrow’s perspective, and they’ve listened in the past. Despite a 6-10 season marred by a significant toe injury to Burrow, Taylor appears to be safe.”
Taylor took over as Bengals head coach back in 2019 and has gone 52-62-1 with just two playoff appearances since taking the job. He did guide Cincinnati to the Super Bowl during the 2021-22 campaign, and the Bengals won back-to-back AFC North division titles in 2021 and 2022. Since then, however, Cincinnati has labored.
Over the past three seasons, the Bengals have gone 24-26 without a single playoff appearance. Yes, Burrow missed extensive time in both 2023 and this year, so Taylor gets a bit of a mulligan there.
But it is certainly fair to question whether or not the 42-year-old should keep his job heading into 2026, especially considering Cincinnati missed the postseason with a healthy Burrow in 2024.
Burrow has played in seven games this season, throwing for 1,573 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 65.5 percent of his passes and posting a 100.1 passer rating. The Bengals have gone 5-2 in his starts.
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The former No. 1 overall pick raised some eyebrows with some melancholic comments he made a few weeks ago, which had people questioning Burrow’s future in Cincinnati. But Burrow appears to be just fine.
The Bengals will face the Cleveland Browns in their season finale on Sunday.
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