Three playoff-less seasons and declining performance raise critical questions. Is loyalty to Zac Taylor blinding Bengals ownership to a championship window closing?
The Cincinnati Bengals will close the book on a disappointing season Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, a finale that feels more like an obligation than a turning point. What was supposed to be a bounce-back year instead ended with Cincinnati missing the postseason for a third straight season, raising uncomfortable but unavoidable questions about the direction of the franchise. Chief among them: whether continuing with Zac Taylor as head coach is the right move.
From the outside, the case for change feels straightforward. The Bengals will finish with a losing record, have underperformed relative to their talent,and never truly looked like a playoff-caliber team this season. Even accounting for Joe Burrow’s significant toe injury, the broader trend is hard to ignore.
Three consecutive seasons without a postseason appearance is not what teams expect when they have an elite quarterback in his prime. At some point, injuries stop being an explanation and start becoming part of the evaluation.
That’s why speculation around Taylor’s future has lingered for much of the season. Fair or not, head coaches are judged on results, and Cincinnati’s recent results suggest stagnation. The defense has too often looked disjointed, the team has started seasons slowly, and adjustments have felt reactive rather than proactive. When expectations are championship-level, simply “getting healthy” is not a sufficient long-term plan.
And yet, the Bengals appear poised to stay the course — largely because of Burrow’s backing.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Burrow has been a consistent voice of support for Taylor within the organization, alongside Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Bengals ownership values Burrow’s opinion, and history shows they listen. That context matters. Franchise quarterbacks rarely endorse coaches they don’t believe in, and Burrow’s influence carries enormous weight.
Is Loyalty Clouding the Bengals’ Objectivity?
Taylor deserves credit for what he’s accomplished. He helped guide the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance and oversaw the franchise’s best stretch in decades. That success bought him credibility. However, his overall record remains below .500, and the league does not reward past accomplishments indefinitely — especially when regression follows.
Keeping Taylor may provide continuity and stability, but it also risks complacency. Burrow is entering the heart of his prime, and championship windows in the NFL are unforgiving. Other elite quarterbacks have seen teams act aggressively to maximize those years. Cincinnati’s reluctance to make tough decisions could ultimately cost them time they cannot get back.
So are the Bengals making a mistake?
Not definitively — but they’re taking a gamble. By trusting Burrow’s endorsement and banking on health and internal improvement, Cincinnati is betting that the problem isn’t leadership, but circumstance. If that bet pays off, Taylor looks vindicated. If it doesn’t, the Bengals may look back at this moment in regret.