The Cincinnati Bengals are all-in around Joe Burrow in 2026.
With being all-in comes major expectations and the understanding that if those possible ceilings aren’t hit, the current hot seats will lead to consequences.
While the focus isn’t really on the topic right now, there’s no hotter seat in Cincinnati than the one belonging to head coach Zac Taylor.
During an interview with Casino’s D.J. Siddiqi, former Bengals star Andrew Whitworth talked about this situation.
“We’ve continued to keep the guys you guys say is important that we keep, and now we’ve even gone out and made some splash moves,” 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.”
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.
This offseason? The Bengals traded for Dexter Lawrence, spent huge in free agency and even returns the same starting five offensive linemen for the first time since Taylor got hired.
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.
No pressure, right?
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Andrew Whitworth’s comment about Zac Taylor says it all about Bengals
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris Roling, Bengals Wire | USA TODAY Network
