Feb. 16, 2026, 7:00 p.m. ET
The worst-case scenario for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2026 isn’t exactly hard to figure out.
Look away, Bengals fans: It’s another Joe Burrow injury.
That’s the worst-case scenario offered up by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, who was asked to formulate all 32 worst outcomes for next year.
But tucked into there is some interesting commentary on Bengals head coach Zac Taylor:
“The harsh reality is that the Bengals have some offensive playmakers but a flawed overall roster. The harsher reality is that head coach Zac Taylor simply can’t win without Joe Burrow healthy and on the field. Taylor has proven that time and time again, most recently going 1-8 without Burrow in 2025.”
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The national side woke up to this last year late in the season when it started going viral that Taylor was 9-28 without Burrow as the quarterback.
Taylor, with an assist from the front office via the Joe Flacco trade, attempted to avoid making this reputation worse. But he consistently has not been able to win.
There are caveats. Pre-Burrow era messes with the numbers. Most head coaches would have a hard time winning games without their star quarterback, too. And yes, there are major problems above Taylor on the food chain in Cincinnati.
Unfortunately, Taylor is the face of the Bengals and gets the blame, though. And the past doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that he can overcome further attendance hiccups from his star player.
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