Glenn Kaplan
Zac Taylor has been the Cincinnati Bengals head coach since the 2019 NFL season. Over the last three seasons, Cincinnati has missed the playoffs. Many fans were surprised that the Bengals kept Taylor as head coach for the 2026 NFL season. They thought that Taylor was going to be fired after they missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
Well, with him being retained, there is no question that the Bengals are under pressure to win right away in 2026. Cincinnati’s 2026 NFL season relies on the health of quarterback Joe Burrow. He was injured for a good majority of the 2025 NFL season. Even with him sidelined, the Bengals offense was not the problem.
The defense was horrendous last season. They made several moves on defense this offseason. Cincinnati decided to trade away the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. If the defense and offense don’t perform well, all of the problems are going to fall on the head coach.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor on Hot Seat as 2026 NFL season approaches
Profootballfocus.com writer Bradley Locker wrote about six different head coaches who will be on the hot seat as the 2026 NFL season approaches. He thinks that Taylor is no doubt one of the six NFL head coaches on the hot seat. Locker said, “Taylor’s career in Cincinnati has continued to vacillate, going from a horrid start to a Super Bowl appearance to back on the downward swing. Recent history hasn’t been on the head coach’s side, as the Bengals have missed the playoffs in each of the last three campaigns despite fielding tremendous offensive star power. In particular, the 2025 season was very poor with a 6-11 mark and the 20th overall ranking in team PFF grade.
Cincinnati’s defense has remained among the league’s worst since 2024 — placing 28th in EPA per play, 29th in success rate and 29th in touchdown drive rate given up in that span. The Bengals made legitimate upgrades to the unit in Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook for incumbent defensive coordinator Al Golden, but the bottom line is that the unit simply needs to play far better.
It was a bit of a surprise that Taylor was retained to begin with going into 2026, but he can’t afford another slip-up season. As pressure continues to mount surrounding Joe Burrow’s future in Cincinnati, the Bengals’ front office shouldn’t be passive in keeping its star quarterback happy — and the broader team oriented well.”
This defense needs to show major improvement this season for the Bengals. It has been the downfall of this football team over the last three seasons.
Bengals Schedule
The Bengals have an easier schedule this season. With that being said, the first three games for Cincinnati will be against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Houston Texans, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. These are winnable games, but they are also games that they could lose. If they are off to a 0-3 start in 2026, there is a good chance that Taylor could get fired. They also face the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth week of the season. A 0-4 start would no doubt be the end for Taylor with a game against the weak Miami Dolphins looming the following week.
If Cincinnati decided to fire Taylor in-season, it would be interesting to see who the Bengals would promote as the interim head coach. Would offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher be the new interim coach for the Bengals if that was the case? The Cleveland Browns interviewed him for a head coaching job this offseason. This could be his perfect audition to the Bengals head coach long term here.
