Zac Taylor and the Bengals are now under even more pressure to win in 2026 following latest NFL coaching change
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor stands alone in a way no one could’ve expected entering 2026.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is officially the only HC in the AFC North left standing for 2026.
The Cleveland Browns fired Kevin Stefanski, and John Harbaugh was canned by the Baltimore Ravens last week. These moves left just Taylor and Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin employed by AFC North clubs, until Tomlin officially stepped down after 19 years in Pittsburgh Tuesday afternoon.
Three vacancies now exist in the Bengals’ division, and only Cincinnati will operate with coaching continuity next season. It creates a very unique opportunity for Taylor and Co., but with that opportunity comes another layer of pressure that now must be toppled.
Bengals’ 2026 season just became even more important for Zac Taylor
It’s no secret the Bengals have been notoriously patient with their coaches. David Shula was kept for nearly five seasons despite exceeding five wins just once. Bruce Coslet initially survived winning a combined seven games in his second and third full seasons on the job. Marvin Lewis last 16 years without winning a playoff game.
Now there’s Taylor, entering Year 8 on the job despite a losing record and just two playoff appearances.
Keeping Taylor for 2026 was already a questionable decision. Watching him outlast the likes of Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, and Harbaugh and Tomlin, winners of one Super Bowl each, is enough for observers to marvel at Cincinnati’s choice to retain its coach despite underwhelming since before the decade even began.
Maybe it’s more along the lines of, “How is this guy the one still employed?” You get the gist.
It’s fair. The Bengals seem to believe retaining Taylor, and director of player personnel Duke Tobin for that matter, is the best way for them to win right now instead of starting from scratch like the their biggest rivals will all be doing.
The Browns, Ravens, and Steelers are all giving them the platform to prove it.
The stage is set and it couldn’t be more simple. Cincinnati is running it back with the expectation of returning to the playoffs. If the mission falls flat, and one rival wins the division and potentially another makes it as a wild-card team, the Bengals will have no choice but to view their season as an absolute failure.
There was already pressure on Taylor and the organization to improve upon its 6-11 season. The pressure has increased tenfold now that they have what they should agree is an advantage.
After all, they chose this path when no one else around them followed.