Zac Taylor’s first major decision of the offseason further supports where the Bengals feel they need to improve
Bengals HC Zac Taylor is retaining his entire coaching staff for 2026.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is back for 2026, and so are his assistants and coordinators.
Taylor told reporters during his final press conference of the 2025 season he does not expect to make any changes to his coaching staff.
Zac Taylor is fully embracing coaching continuity after major changes last year
Taylor, confirmed to return by Bengals president Mike Brown Monday morning, will indeed keep defensive coordinator Al Golden, offensive coordinator Dan Pitchers, special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons, and all 24 assistants under him for the start of the 2026 offseason.
That doesn’t mean some of those assistants won’t have opportunities to pursue promotions with other clubs, but Taylor will not be moving on from any of his fellow coaches. This wasn’t the case last year when he fired DC Lou Anarumo, offensive line coach Frank Pollack, and other assistants.
Cincinnati’s staff underwent major change in 2025, headlined by Golden taking over the defense from Anarumo and filling out his first staff as an NFL DC, and Scott Peters replacing Pollack as the o-line coach.
Taylor opted for new faces on staff to get the most out of the what the roster was likely to be, which wasn’t too different compared to 2024. The Bengals ended up with two season-long starters, Demetrius Knight Jr. and Dylan Fairchild, from the 2025 NFL Draft and a couple more rookies, Barrett Carter and Jalen Rivers, who started notable stretches of the year. Free agency provided one new starter in T.J. Slaton Jr.
Every other major player on the roster was already when Taylor’s 2025 staff was finalized right before March. By bringing back the entire staff following a 6-11 season, it becomes even more clear what the mission is going forward into the offseason.
Notable changes for Bengals needs to revolve around the roster
If last offseason was about emphasizing coaching changes to better the team, then this offseason is about the inverse. Taylor is getting another crack at turning things around, as will his staff, and that means change must come from the names in the locker room.
The roster, specifically on the defensive side of the ball, needs the re-working the coaching staff got last year.
Quarterback Joe Burrow hinted at this multiple times near the end of the regular season, and affirmed the significance of filling roster holes with veteran free agents.
“That’s of paramount importance,” Burrow said of adding free agents following Cincy’s Week 18 loss. “I think you have to identify where you’re weak, and figure out a way to be strong in that area. That’s the NFL year in and year out. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t, but you have to attack that period with intent to get better.”
The Bengals will count on some of their own players to get better heading into the 2026 season, but their activity level in March needs to rise above where it was when Slaton was the only external starter added to the defense.
Otherwise, what’s the message if both the coaching staff and roster looks the same? Not a convincing one, that’s for sure.
Taylor has his full staff at the start of the offseason, giving them a full two months to prepare with the personnel department for a crucial period of player acquisition. It will need to be more robust, and successful, than any of the last three years.
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