The idea of Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor being on the hot seat in 2026 isn’t a new one.
But it is interesting to hear the idea coming from those within the NFL.
One anonymous NFL executive recently went on record with how they look at the situation with the Bengals right now.
“They knew they had to fix some stuff on defense,” an exec told Mike Sando of The Athletic. “It looks like they are saying, ‘You guys have one year to figure this out. Otherwise, we can get out of the coach’s contract.’”
Granted, Taylor appeared to be on the hot seat after last season, only for the Bengals to go all-in around him again, banking on the idea that continuity is more prone to success than starting over at this point in time.
Last winter, when Taylor hot seat buzz really spiked, a report conveniently suggested that Taylor actually has two years left on his deal, not one. It alleges that the Bengals did a secret extension that was never reported, basically.
Still, people inside the NFL see it like fans on this topic: Another playoff miss can’t happen in Cincinnati. The Bengals like to let contracts run their course, yes, but another wasted year of Joe Burrow’s prime would surely move even that front office into action.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals’ Zac Taylor hot seat assessed by NFL execs
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
