Orlando Brown Jr. Makes Bold Zac Taylor Claim Before NFL Preseason

The NFL Preseason is just three weeks away, and the hype around the Cincinnati Bengals has not cooled off yet. While they have missed the playoffs for the last three consecutive seasons, general manager Duke Tobin delivered a wonderful offseason of signing and re-signing contracts, along with a trade to acquire superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants. 

Because of the new pickups, added to a revitalized Joe Burrow, many around the league believe this could be the year for the Bengals. They don’t just have a chance to finally end their playoff drought; they have a real chance to make a push to make the Super Bowl again for the first time since their loss to the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. With the third-easiest strength of schedule in 2026, there is absolutely no reason Cincinnati should be watching the playoffs from home this year. That is, of course, assuming Burrow can maintain his good health, which he’s only done once in the last three seasons. 

With such high anticipation for this team, the pressure is on for head coach Zac Taylor. He was widely expected to be fired after last season’s shortcomings, as were all of the other three coaches in the AFC North. Because the Bengals’ ownership has maintained faith in both Tobin and Taylor, this should be his final year to prove he can get his team back into title contention. 

Ahead of the season’s beginning, veteran offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr. had significant praise for his head coach. 

“Zac Taylor is not one to test,” said Brown Jr. “That’s the reason he got this job, that’s the reason he’s going to keep this job, and it’s the reason we’re gonna go out and have a great season because he is cut from that cloth … He understands when to be that guy and when not to be that guy, and so it’s a healthy balance … I done seen him lay into some players, I done seen him talk to some coaches, I done seen him talk to me crazy … [the fire] is very much in there, I would not test coach.”

This came after a question regarding Taylor’s fire as a head coach. Many believe that coaches need to be extremely passionate and loud with their coaching to prove to everyone that they care, but the team captain made it very clear that Taylor can be that guy when he needs to get more out of his team. 

Cincinnati will definitely be tested to begin the regular season. Facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jacksonville Jaguars in their first four games could be an opportunity to build immense momentum right out of the gate. However, if they lose a couple of games early on, they could also be in for a long season of disappointment. The way they start will likely determine which version of Taylor needs to come out to keep his team on track or get them out of the gutter.