Zac Taylor excited about a problem he’s lucky the Cincinnati Bengals have exiting the offseason workout program
The Cincinnati Bengals invested plenty of cash in veteran free agents. The influx of new leaders, however, is going to give head coach Zac Taylor a problem he’s happy to have.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor continues harping on the leadership of his new and improved roster.
Cincinnati invested plenty of cash in veteran free agents. Incumbent starters have only grown into their roles on the team.
The influx of new leaders, however, is going to give Taylor a problem he’s happy to have.
Bengals won’t be short on team captain candidates
The hype surrounding the Bengals has many thinking back to the first of two playoff teams Taylor has coached. When asked about comparing the 2026 squad to the 2021 roster that went all the way to the Super Bowl, Taylor pointed to what matches in his mind.
“It just starts with the leadership,” Taylor said. “I feel good about the leadership, and I think sometimes you might talk yourself into feeling that way.”
It also has him thinking about what will happen when it’s time to announce team captains.
“I genuinely spend a lot of time on, you know, who could potentially captains be,” Taylor said. “There’s a lot of opportunity there. There’s a lot of candidates. That’s a good thing. You’re not having to talk yourself into who we can be. It’ll take shape the right way, but just pleased with the attitude those guys have brought, how they helped others get better, and so I think we got a lot of good guys.”
The Bengals typically honor at most eight players a year to captain status. Joe Burrow has been a captain each and every year of his Bengals career. Ted Karras has also always worn the “C” patch on his jersey.
Those two are virtual locks for this season. The rest of the captains will have ample competition with Jonathan Allen, Bryan Cook, and Dexter Lawrence as new candidates among others.
Early returns on leadership
Taylor decided to cancel the final two planned practices of mandatory minicamp following Tuesday’s session. He credits the players and coaching staff for maximizing their time throughout the offseason workout. That includes the new vets showing their leadership plain and clear from the jump.
“They’re not bashful about it,” Taylor said. “They know what they want, and they know how to get there, and they know what they need from their teammates. And so I think there’s a humbleness, there’s also, ‘I’m not waiting around to feel my way through this before I start speaking.’ They’ve done a really good job of saying what needs to be said, because they’re confident how they go about their business, the work they put in, and it’s just been really great for me as I go to be able to see those guys come in and act that way.”
An early summer break for the players was earned, but expectations of their leadership continuing to show throughout training camp remain.
When the time comes to vote on captains, Taylor knows the ballot will be packed.