{"id":736264,"date":"2026-06-14T15:47:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T15:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/736264\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T15:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T15:47:10","slug":"zac-taylor-named-among-group-of-nfl-head-coaches-on-hot-seat-before-2026-nfl-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/736264\/","title":{"rendered":"Zac Taylor Named Among Group of NFL Head Coaches on Hot Seat Before 2026 NFL Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Zac Taylor has had plenty of highs and some lows with\u00a0the Bengals<\/a>\u00a0across a rollercoaster run as the team’s head coach since 2019. Taylor has two years left on his contract and enters the rest of this offseason with all the tools to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2023.<\/p>\n

Still, when you miss the playoffs three years in a row and only make it twice in seven seasons, the eyebrows get raised. Pro Football Focus writer Bradley Locker\u00a0named Taylor<\/a>\u00a0among five other head coaches on the hot seat entering the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

Taylor was the only AFC North coach who kept their job this spring, and he has pretty much full staff continuity to lean on.<\/p>\n

Six Hot Seats\"Cincinnati<\/p>\n

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor talks about newly signed defense tackle Dexter Lawrence in a press conference at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Monday, April 20, 2026. | Sam Greene\/The Enquirer \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Taylor, Aaron Glenn, Todd Bowles, Shane Steichen, Matt LeFleur, and Nick Sirianni all made the list. Glenn and Steichen are the only ones who haven’t won a division title with their team so far.<\/p>\n

“Taylor\u2019s career in Cincinnati has continued to vacillate, going from a horrid start to a Super Bowl appearance to back on the downward swing,”\u00a0Locker wrote<\/a>. “Recent history hasn\u2019t been on the head coach\u2019s 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 a 20th-overall team PFF grade.<\/p>\n

“Cincinnati\u2019s defense has remained among the league\u2019s worst since 2024 \u2014 placing 28th\u00a0in EPA per play, 29th\u00a0in success rate, and 29th\u00a0in touchdown drive rate given up in that span. The Bengals made legitimate upgrades to the unit in\u00a0Dexter\u00a0Lawrence,\u00a0Boye Mafe, and\u00a0Bryan Cook\u00a0for 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\u2019t afford another slip-up season. As pressure continues to mount surrounding\u00a0Joe Burrow\u2019s future in Cincinnati, the Bengals\u2019 front office shouldn\u2019t be passive in keeping its star quarterback happy \u2014 and the broader team oriented well.”<\/p>\n

Those defensive numbers have heavily held Taylor’s teams back, but maybe just maybe this\u00a0offseason was enough<\/a>\u00a0to fix things and let his offense really drive wins in the final moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Taylor has proven to be a strong offensive coach this decade and has full buy-in from the front office and locker room. He’s earned that trust through great relationship building and evidence that he can win at the highest level when given the right tools.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vibes are as high as ever in the Bengals locker room, and Taylor can quickly exit lists like these with a fast start against the NFL’s third-easiest schedule based on 2026 opponent projected win totals.<\/p>\n

“Players, coaches, personnel, ownership \u2014 very united right now. So now, we have to go do the work,” Taylor said after the 2026 NFL Draft. “The coaches have to do a great job putting these guys in the right spots, getting the most out of them, and the players have got to go work. They’ve got to work to build the chemistry with a lot of new players we brought in, bring the rookies up to speed, and get it done on the field. I’m confident that this is a group that’s really hungry to do that.”<\/p>\n

Check out the full hot-seat\u00a0list here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sign Up For Our DAILY Newsletter for More Free Coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals Delivered to You Directly<\/a><\/p>\n

For more on the Bengals,\u00a0subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to check us out on your favorite audio platforms, including\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0Spotify<\/a>,\u00a0iHeartRadio<\/a>, and\u00a0Amazon<\/a>. Make sure you\u00a0bookmark BengalsTalk.com\u00a0for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more! We’re a one-stop shop for all things Cincinnati Bengals! Join the\u00a065,000+ Bengals fans who subscribe to us on YouTube.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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